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Staff Directory
- Title:
- Associate Head Coach/Recruiting Coordinator
- Email:
- Start Date:
- 01/29/2018
Brett Anema was hired to Head Coach Trevor Johnson’s coaching staff in January 2018 and was elevated to associate head coach on Sept. 3, 2020.
Coach Anema is involved in all aspects of running a Division I program, including practice and match instruction and planning. He focuses mostly on Liberty’s middle blockers and blocking systems.
During his five seasons at Liberty, Anema has helped build Liberty into a contender in the ASUN. The Lady Flames made two appearances in the NIVC during his time at Liberty (2019, 2022), including a run to the NIVC Elite Eight in 2019. He helped guide the Lady Flames to a pair of 20-win seasons.
In 2022, Liberty posted a 23-9 record, winning its first ASUN regular-season title by going 14-2 in conference play. Liberty reached a program-record-best 70 in the final RPI before the postseason. The Lady Flames made their first appearance in a conference final since 2012 and were selected to host the first and second rounds of the NIVC. Liberty tied a program record with 14 conference wins and took a 12-match winning streak into the ASUN final. Both of Liberty’s starting middle blockers, Lydia Burts (first team) and Madison Blane (third team) were named to the ASUN All-Conference team. The Lady Flames led the ASUN in both blocks per set and opponents’ hitting percentage.
Serving as recruiting coordinator, he has been instrumental in Liberty’s recruiting efforts, which have produced two of the top recruiting classes in program history. The 2019 incoming freshmen class was given High Honorable Mention among PrepVolleyball.com’s list of top recruiting classes. The Class of 2020 received Highest Honorable Mention from PrepVolleyball.com, ranking in the Top 60 nationally.
Anema helped the Lady Flames navigate the CoVID-altered 2020-21 academic year. During the 2021 spring season, the Lady Flames led the ASUN and ranked 13th nationally in blocks per set, the second year in a row in which Liberty finished in the Top 25 nationally in blocking. Freshman middle blocker Lydia Burts was named to the ASUN All-Conference second team, finishing the season ranked seventh nationally in blocks per set.
During the 2019 season, Liberty posted its first 20 win season since 2014, going 21-12 overall. The Lady Flames also made their first postseason appearance since 2012, winning two matches in the Postseason NIVC and advancing to the quarterfinals. Liberty was the only NCAA Division I team in 2019 to have three 100-block players, a 1,000-assist player, a 450-kill player, and a 550-dig player. Senior middle blocker Anna Gragg set a program single-season record for hitting percentage while earning all-conference honors for the fourth time.
In 2018, Anema helped guide Liberty to a successful first season in the ASUN Conference, as Liberty finished 10-6 in conference play and 15-17 overall. Liberty became the first volleyball team since ETSU in 2005 to make the ASUN Tournament in its first year in the conference. The Lady Flames posted a six-match home winning streak toward the end of the season, finishing 7-3 at the Vines Center. Liberty placed two middle blockers, Anna Gragg and Kainah Williams, on the ASUN All-Conference Team.
Anema, an accomplished player and coach, came to Liberty after spending the 2017 season serving as a volunteer assistant coach on Laurie Corbelli’s staff at Texas A&M. While there, he coached alongside current Liberty Head Coach Trevor Johnson, who was an assistant coach for the Aggies.
Following his playing career, Anema returned to California to coach both the JSerra Catholic High School and TStreet Volleyball Club for three years. TStreet was the top-ranked club in California while he served as coach.
Prior to his coaching career, Anema played volleyball professionally in Schuttorf, Germany.
Anema played collegiately for three years at Concordia University in Irvine, Calif., where was recruited by current Liberty Head Coach Trevor Johnson.
A middle blocker hailing from La Mirada, Calif., he was a first-team all-conference selection during his first season, hitting .448 as Concordia won the NAIA national championship. During his senior year, 2015, he hit .444 with 2.32 kills and 0.81 blocks per set, earning AVCA/NAIA All-America honors.
Anema and his wife, Madison, were married in April 2017.
