Samantha Dabbs joined the North Florida volleyball coaching staff in February 2012. Dabbs serves as an assistant coach for the Ospreys’ indoor program, working primarily with the setters and the offensive systems and coordinating UNF’s recruiting efforts. Dabbs also holds the title of head coach of the beach volleyball squad.
After a successful campaign in the 2016 beach season, Dabbs and director of volleyball Steve Loeswick garnered ASUN Coaching Staff of the Year honors. The duo led the team to a program record 24 wins and the program's fourth ASUN tournament title. During the indoor season, Dabbs continued to develop Turner and Fesl in a two-setter system. Fesl led the team with 880 assists while Turner posted 439.
During the 2014-15 seasons, Dabbs guided a pair of young indoor and beach programs to multiple hard-fought matches. For the indoor season, Dabbs was instrumental in the development of both Abby Fesl and Carinne Turner as the Ospreys adopted a two-setter system. On the offensive side of the ball, newcomers Courtney Miller and Tessa Alyman accounted for much of the Osprey offense, totaling about 40 percent of UNF’s kills for the season. Miller, who led the team in kills, went on to be named the 2014 Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year.
Facing another challenging slate of opponents, the 2015 beach team showed its will to play hard while facing several top teams. UNF’s top duo of Cari Whitmire and Cameron McGuire earned All-Conference honors, while Jess Kinlaw earned a spot on the All-Freshman Team.
In 2013-14, Dabbs worked with a young and promising indoor program, while guiding the Ospreys to another successful sand season. With the indoor team, Dabbs helped develop freshman setter Abby Fesl, who earned All-Freshman Team honors. Fesl emerged as UNF’s primary setter and was one of two primary freshman setters in the Atlantic Sun.
The 2014 beach season was just as impressive as the previous two as the Ospreys compiled an 18-6 overall record and went 7-1 in Atlantic Sun competition. Dagnija Medina/Kim Hildreth ultimately concluded the season as the Atlantic Sun’s Pair of the Year and reached the championship bracket at the AVCA Sand National Championships.
The 2012-13 season set a tone for what the future holds at UNF. During the indoor campaign in the fall 2012, the Ospreys compiled a 22-12 record and an 11-7 mark in conference play, which was UNF’s first 20-win season in Division I history and its first double-digit conference wins since joining the Atlantic Sun. UNF also reached the Atlantic Sun Championship match for the first time. Under Dabbs’ tutelage, Britt Claessens put up 1,376 assists in 2012, which is the fifth-highest single-season total in UNF’s 23-year history. Claessens was named All-Tournament at the Radisson/North Florida Invitational and the Winthrop Classic.
During the sand season, the Ospreys had yet another remarkable season, going 16-5 overall and 8-0 in the A-Sun. UNF defended its A-Sun Tournament title in 2013 and became the first team in the country to earn an automatic bid to the AVCA Sand National Championships. The Ospreys were one of six teams to compete for a team title. Meanwhile, two UNF pairs – Anna Budinska/Dagnija Medina and Carolyn Jenkins/Cari Whitmire – were each picked to compete in the AVCA Sand Volleyball Pairs National Championship. Budinska and Medina were First-Team All-Conference selections and named the A-Sun Tournament’s Most Valuable Pair. Emily Strack and Anna Wagner also received All-Atlantic Sun Tournament honors.
Her first season on the UNF coaching sidelines came during the inaugural sand season in the spring of 2012. The Ospreys captured the Atlantic Sun Tournament title and Dagnija Medina and Emily Strack made an appearance at the AVCA Sand Nationals.
She came to UNF following stints as an assistant coach at Cincinnati and Appalachian State.
Before moving to the sidelines as a coach, Dabbs had a standout playing career as a setter at LSU and Louisville. She was tutored by current UNF head coach Steve Loeswick during her playing days in Baton Rouge.
While a player at LSU, Dabbs started 30 matches for the SEC-champion Tigers in 2009 on her way to earning All-SEC and All-Louisiana first team honors. Dabbs also garnered AVCA All-America and All-South Region honorable mention recognition during her senior season. As a junior, she ranked fifth in the SEC for assists and earned Louisiana Newcomer of the Year and All-Louisiana second team honors.
Before her two seasons at LSU, Dabbs began her collegiate career at Louisville. She was a two-year starter at setter and helped lead the Cardinals to a No. 17 national ranking.
In addition, Dabbs also gained valuable international playing experience as a member of the USA A2 Junior National Team.
A native of San Antonio, Texas, Dabbs earned her bachelor’s degree in sports administration-sport commerce from LSU in 2010.
