In September, Meredith College held a ribbon-cutting for its newest athletics facility. The Estes-Speight Family Athletic Center is visible evidence of the growth and success of Meredith’s Avenging Angels athletics. 

The donor-funded athletic center’s construction was made possible by Chris Speight Brown, ’76, and her siblings, who made a $1 million lead gift to name the center in memory of their mother, Mary Estes Speight, ’53, and their father, Bobby Speight. Located adjacent to the softball field and tennis courts, the facility includes two large indoor batting cages, a golf simulator, locker rooms, a student-athlete lounge, and public restrooms. Brown also funded a Hall of Fame for Athletics, named for her daughter Lisa Brown De Armas, ’03, that is housed in Cate Student Center. (See Philanthropy section for more details on these projects.)

The new athletic center is needed as Meredith has expanded its athletic offerings, which the existing facilities strained to accommodate. Until the Estes-Speight Family Athletic Center opened in September, five athletic teams – volleyball, basketball, softball, tennis, and golf – were juggling to share one locker room in Weatherspoon over the course of an academic year. 

Meredith’s Avenging Angels teams have found much success on the playing field, including 40 USA South Championships and 23 NCAA tournament appearances. But athletics also plays an important role in recruitment and retention. In addition to guiding their teams, Avenging Angels coaches support enrollment through their work recruiting student-athletes.

“Our coaches understand that this is important work for the College, and they know they can play a big part in increasing enrollment,” said Director of Athletics Jackie Myers. “I think they’ve taken ownership of that.”

Myers, who is in her 24th year leading Meredith Athletics, was inducted into the USA South Athletic Conference Hall of Fame in August. She has been instrumental in the growth of the College’s athletics program, including facilitating Meredith’s transition into the USA South conference in 2007 and establishing the Avenging Angels as a consistent and respected competitor within the conference.

Athletics has been a consistent draw for high school athletes who want to continue their playing careers in college. 

“Student-athletes want an opportunity to continue their athletic career,” said Associate Athletic Director Fiona Barkley. “There’s not been that ebb and flow in enrollment for us. We’ve had good stability with our roster numbers.”

Meredith is a strong option for student-athletes who find Division III athletics appealing. 

“As we all watch the landscape of Division I change and become more of a business, we’re still an opportunity for them to play purely for the love of the game. They come here to play because they love their sport and they want to be at Meredith,” said Barkley. “We’re not incentivizing them in any way beyond offering an opportunity to play their sport and to be in a great community.”

Student-athletes also gain valuable skills through their sport. They learn how to deal with conflict, be accountable, and manage their time. “There’s a lot outside of just winning and losing that student-athletes experience as they are preparing to go on to the workforce,” Barkley said.

New student-athletes find community at Meredith partly because they already have a built-in group of other students with whom they share the common experience of playing a sport.

“If they’re having a good experience and they’re playing on a team, they’re typically going to retain stronger,” Barkley said. “They’re involved on campus. They are leaders in student organizations. It’s not their job to be an athlete here. It is an additional piece of their overall experience that encourages them to come here and stay here.”

Even students who might only play their first couple of years at Meredith retain well. 

“They’ll stay because our coaches do a really good job of finding the right fit for people who want to come to Meredith,” Myers said. 

Playing at a Division III college allows student-athletes a more balanced experience where they can continue in their sport and still focus on their classes. 

“Our athletes don’t want to miss class. They’re very academically focused, but they love their sport. They really do want a good education, and they value what Meredith can offer,” Myers said.

Athletics Roster Expands with Addition of Flag Football

Meredith is adding flag football, with competition to begin in Spring 2027. Meredith expects to play the 7-on-7 format of flag football, which has an average roster size between 20 and 25 players. 

Flag football has been one of the fastest-growing sports in the country, and now Meredith’s Avenging Angels will be part of this momentum at the collegiate level. At least 65 NCAA schools are sponsoring women’s flag football at either the club or varsity levels this year, with more slated to join in 2026. Flag football will also be a sport in the 2028 Olympic Games.

Meredith is the first college in the USA South Conference to sponsor flag football as an official sport.

“I am confident that this sport will continue to grow in popularity and that more and more colleges and universities will add it,” said Myers. “Adding the sport before many of our conference schools will give Meredith a competitive advantage.”

Myers noted that Meredith followed this model with the lacrosse team, being one of the first in the USA South conference to add lacrosse as a varsity sport. Meredith’s team has since seen incredible success in lacrosse, winning 11 straight conference championships. 

Leading Meredith’s new team will be Bryonne Herring, who was hired in August as the first head coach of flag football. Herring brings a decade of coaching experience in strength and conditioning and football as he builds Meredith’s inaugural team as the College launches its newest varsity sport. 

“I’m honored to step into this role and excited to help our players grow both on and off the field,” said Herring. “Flag football is more than just a game – it’s a chance to build character, teamwork, and confidence. I’m looking forward to building a team founded on hard work, growth, and fun.”

Prior to coming to Meredith, Herring was the head strength and conditioning coach at SUNY Brockport, where he oversaw training for all 23 NCAA Division III athletic teams. Herring also served as the head coach of the university’s women’s club flag football team. He guided the Brockport program with a focus on player development, team strategy, and communication. His leadership elevated team dynamics and built a foundation of competitive excellence – experience that will be pivotal in building Meredith’s program from the ground up.

“Bryonne’s vision for building a competitive and inclusive flag football program aligns perfectly with Meredith’s mission and values,” said Myers. “He’s not only an experienced coach – he’s a leader, mentor, and builder. We are thrilled to welcome him to the Avenging Angels family.”

Flag football joins 11 other sports that Meredith offers, which are basketball, cross country, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, track and field (indoor and outdoor), and volleyball. The athletic department is exploring other options that could be added in the near future.

By adding new sports, Meredith expands its appeal to a broadened audience of prospective students.

“Our goal is to bring a whole new pool of students. With all of our sports, the goal is to be actively recruiting for the rosters, not just pulling from the students who are already here,” said Myers. “So we’re hoping it’s a whole new interest field that will bring new students to Meredith.”

New Coaches Join Meredith’s Athletics Department

When hiring, the Athletics Department leadership, of course, wants coaches who have had competitive success in their sport. Meredith’s coaches have earned 15 USA South Coach of the Year honors. But they also look for an ability to market the Meredith experience to prospective student-athletes.

“Coaches have to know how to evaluate talent and find students who fit at Meredith and who fit the culture of our program,” said Barkley, who previously served as head volleyball coach from 2007-23. “Our coaches are excited about what Meredith is as an institution and what it offers its students academically and for their professional lives. It all knits together into what we can offer them.”

In addition to Herring, two other new head coaches are leading athletic teams at Meredith this season. Heather Brown has been named the head golf coach, and Garcian D’Cruz has been hired to serve as the head tennis coach.

“I’m excited to begin mentoring and developing our current Avenging Angels while also recruiting new student-athletes to help build and strengthen the program,” said Brown. “I am confident that we can take Meredith Golf to new heights.”

Brown guided the women’s golf program at Appalachian State to record-breaking achievements, recruiting top national and international talent, mentoring over 30 Academic All-Americans, and coaching a conference champion and two USGA qualifiers. Her teams consistently posted the highest GPA in the athletics department and were nationally recognized for academic progress.

“Heather’s experience, teaching philosophy, and dedication to the holistic development of student-athletes are exactly what we value in our athletics program,” said Myers. “She will be a tremendous asset to our campus and our golf team.”

A former head coach at Tusculum University, D’Cruz brings a diverse and accomplished coaching background, along with a strong commitment to both academic and athletic excellence to his new role with Meredith Tennis.

“I am excited and honored to be named the Head Tennis Coach at Meredith College, and I look forward to continuing the academic and athletic success of our student-athletes,” said D’Cruz.

At Tusculum, D’Cruz guided the program to a South Atlantic Conference (SAC) Tournament appearance, coached two players to All-Conference honors, and mentored 15 student-athletes who earned SAC All-Academic recognition. D’Cruz previously worked at Elon University, where he was part of a successful run that saw the Phoenix finish as CAA Conference Tournament runner-up. While at Elon, six players earned All-Conference honors, and the program was recognized as an ITA All-Academic Team for the 2023–24 season.

No matter what their sport, Meredith student-athletes benefit from the support system that athletics provides.

“If they have a personal problem or a challenge, their coach is who they’re going to go to first,” Barkley said. “That’s who they trust, that’s who they feel like they can open up to. We’re very fortunate in the coaching staff that we have are excellent people, and they have built great cultures.”  

Myers and Barkley encourage Meredith alumnae to support current student-athletes at their games. 

“There’s a great atmosphere and community at a lot of our games. But we want more people to come. We want it to be more of a campus opportunity for students, alumnae, whomever, to enjoy it and be together and to be excited about watching our teams win.”

Visit goavengingangels.com to view schedules and learn more about Meredith’s athletic teams.

Associate Athletic Director Fiona Barkley contributed to this article.