Maya Brunt serves as the Assistant Women’s Volleyball Coach at LeMoyne-Owen College, working alongside Head Coach Ma-Kayla “MJayee” Johnson. A Memphis native, Brunt brings experience as a former volleyball player, collegiate student athletic trainer, club coach, private volleyball instructor, and developing sports medicine professional.
Brunt developed her volleyball foundation in Memphis, competing both scholastically at Germantown High School and on the club circuit with Premier GVC and Memphis Metro. With school and club seasons alternating throughout the year, she gained year-round competitive experience that helped shape her understanding of the game. At Germantown, Brunt served as team captain, led the team in blocking, and earned nominations for Best Offensive Player and Most Effective Player. She later continued her volleyball career at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.
While at UAPB, Brunt also became heavily involved in collegiate athletics through her work as a student athletic trainer. Working closely with athletes and coaching staffs gave her a deeper understanding of athletic performance, injury prevention, recovery, and the physical demands placed on collegiate athletes. Her time within the athletic department also allowed her to remain closely connected to volleyball while developing the ability to evaluate the game from both a performance and coaching perspective.
After graduating from UAPB, Brunt returned to Memphis and began providing private volleyball lessons, helping athletes improve their skills, confidence, and understanding of the game. Her work in player development later led to an opportunity to assist the Mississippi Valley State University volleyball program on a pro bono basis under the leadership of Kimberly Wad. During the collegiate offseason, she continued building her coaching experience with Tenacity Volleyball Club, where she served as an assistant coach for the 17/18 Nationals team.
Brunt’s primary area of expertise is offensive development. Drawing from her experience as an offensive player and blocker, she enjoys helping athletes improve attacking technique, timing, decision-making, net play, and overall offensive efficiency. She also continues to expand her knowledge of defensive systems by learning from the experienced coaches she has worked alongside throughout her playing and coaching career. Her goal is to continue developing into a well-rounded coach who can effectively teach and understand every phase of the game.
Her background in sports medicine adds another dimension to her coaching approach. Brunt is currently pursuing her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, where her education continues to strengthen her understanding of human movement, rehabilitation, injury prevention, and athletic performance. She uses this knowledge to complement her volleyball experience and help student-athletes better understand how to move efficiently, care for their bodies, and compete at a high level.
As an HBCU graduate now coaching at an HBCU, Brunt values the opportunity to pour back into an environment that played an important role in her own development. Her coaching philosophy emphasizes accountability, confidence, discipline, communication, competitiveness, and attention to detail. She believes coaching extends beyond developing volleyball skills and includes helping student-athletes grow into resilient competitors, confident leaders, and successful young women beyond the court.
Brunt hopes to combine her experiences as a player, athletic trainer, coach, mentor, and future physical therapist to help build a competitive, disciplined, and player-centered culture at LeMoyne-Owen College.
