Darice Pratt, with the help of Glenn & Michelle Murphey established Southern Utah Volleyball Academy in December of 2003. She is in her 8th season at the helm of the program. Pratt was most recently named the Head Coach at Dixie State College. While she very much enjoys coaching older, more established volleyball players; she has coached a variety of age groups over the years ranging from U13s to U18s.
In the fall of 2010, she started the SUVA Little/Juniors Spikers program. This is a developmental program teaching kids ranging from 5 to 13 the basic fundamentals of the game of volleyball. She has been thrilled at the excitement and interest in the sport from such young athletes and is excited to continue the program. Pratt’s SUVA Summer Camps 2010 were a huge success at the younger levels, as well. She hopes to continue to grow the sport throughout Southern Utah.
In May 2010, her U18s team took second in the Intermountain Volleyball region and received a bid to Nationals held in Reno, Nevada. In addition, her team finished in the top 20 at two National Qualifiers, Colorado Crossroads and Far Westerns. Along with her U18s team, Pratt also coached a U14s team that finished first in the Club Division of the Intermountain Volleyball region. In May 2008, her U18s team finished 5th in the Intermountain Volleyball region and received a bid to Nationals held in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Darice moved to St. George in August 2003. She served as an Assistant Coach at Dixie State College for three seasons. Before moving to St. George, Pratt was a Graduate Assistant at Wichita State University for two seasons. She earned a Master of Arts degree in Sport Administration graduating Magna Cum Laude in December of 2002. While in Wichita, she helped establish Shockwave Volleyball club where she coached for one season. She moved to Wichita from Tempe, Arizona where she graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree. She coached three years of club volleyball for Arizona East Valley Juniors and served as an assistant varsity coach at Marcos de Niza High School in Tempe. Pratt was a member of the Sun Devil volleyball team for two and a half seasons (1998-99) after transferring from New Mexico State University. Before joining the Sun Devils, she was a two-year letter winner at NMSU.
Darice is a native of Brawley, California. She graduated from Brawley Union High School in 1996 where she was a three-year letter winner in volleyball, basketball, and swimming. Her senior year of high school, Pratt helped lead the BUHS Wildcats volleyball team to an Imperial Valley title with a perfect 12-0 record, and a spot in the semifinals of the CIF Southern Section State Tournament. She played club volleyball for San Diego Volleyball Club from 1994 thru 1996.
Darice and her husband, Trent, have three children. Morgan and Marly (5) and Brooks (2).
