RICHARDSON, Texas - Newly hired UT Dallas assistant coach Jalissa Trotter was selected as part of the American Volleyball Coaches Association Thirty Under 30 Awards.

The Thirty Under 30 program recognizes up-and-coming coaches in different sectors of the sport who serve in a range of roles, from head coach to volunteer assistant to club director. Each of this year's recipients had to be age 30 or under as of Dec. 31, 2025, to qualify for the award.

"Coaching allows me to continue being involved in the sport while giving back to the next generation of players," said Trotter. "I realized how much I enjoyed teaching the game and sharing what I had learned through my experiences. Coaching allows me to pass on that knowledge while helping athletes develop not just as players, but also as people. For me, coaching is about more than just winning matches — it's about helping student-athletes grow, compete at a high level, and prepare for life beyond volleyball."

From 2023-25, Trotter served as an assistant coach at Tulane University, where she worked with the Green Wave offense while training the team's setters and defensive specialists. She assisted in planning practices, organizing training sessions, and developing athletes' technical skills while also serving as the program's alumni relations coordinator and an external operations liaison. Trotter managed practice players and team managers, coordinated scheduling, and helped guide the development of an American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year and an All-AAC First Team selection. She also coached a setter who finished among the top 10 in program history in assists.

Before her time in New Orleans, Trotter was an assistant coach at Butler University during the 2022 season and served as the program's interim head coach for a portion of the spring 2023 semester. With the Bulldogs, she assisted with practice planning and player development while also handling team travel coordination, itinerary planning, inventory management, and compliance communication. Trotter helped coach two Big East Libero of the Year honorees, as well as a Big East All-Freshman Team setter.

Trotter also served as an assistant coach at Ouachita Baptist University, assisting with practice organization, workouts, scheduling, and team management while overseeing study hall and weight training coordination. During her time with the program, the team earned its fifth consecutive academic award.

Before transitioning fully into coaching, Trotter competed professionally in Finland with Polkky Kuusamo in the Mestaruusliiga. A six-rotation starting setter, she helped lead the club to both a Finnish Cup Championship and a league championship—each the first in program history—and finished her professional career as the league's female MVP while earning multiple monthly setter and player honors.

Trotter began her coaching career as an intern head coach at the Institute of Technology at Syracuse Central, where she oversaw all aspects of the volleyball program, including skill instruction, staff leadership, academic oversight, and equipment management.

In addition to her collegiate coaching experience, Trotter has worked in club volleyball with Core Elite Volleyball Club in New Orleans and Rev Volleyball Club in Indianapolis, instructing athletes in positional skills, leadership development, and player training while assisting with clinics and development programs.

AVCA Thirty Under 30