Coaching Staff

Name: Sarah E. Athearn
Teaching position: College Counselor
Coaching Position & Experience: Head Swim Coach, 1st year
Favorite Scripture: TBD

Born and raised in Riverdale, Sarah Athearn was home schooled through 7th grade and participated in competitive swim for the Tara Tarpons all her life. When her family made the transition for her to attend a private, Christian school in Hampton, GA, she quit swimming and played volleyball. She played Varsity from 9th to 12th grade, helping her school win the region and state titles her junior and senior year. She attended Clayton State University and, in the Spring and Summer of 2009, started CSU's first travel club volleyball team. She had the opportunity to travel and play club volleyball in college, a growing organization popular on many college campuses now.

Sarah started coaching volleyball in 2004, training young girls from her church youth group. She has successfully trained many girls to play in college for D2, D3, and NAIA schools. Sarah also avidly played beach and indoor volleyball in and around Coweta County as well as in Manhattan, KS, Clearwater, FL and Las Vegas, NV. Sarah has over a decade of experience coaching high school volleyball at Community Christian School (2007), Lovejoy High School (2009), Our Lady of Mercy Catholic High School (2010, 2011), and The Weber School (2012-2018). Sarah has coached club volleyball off and on since 2007, most recently with Upward Stars Volleyball in Fayetteville, GA.

Sarah is coaching swimming for the 2019-2020 season at Mercy and is excited to explore coaching a different type of sport. Sarah lives in Fayetteville with her husband, Glenn; son, August (5); daughter, Azlyn (2); German Shephard, Odilena (old); and Black Cat, JayJay (even older). Her parents willingly live in her basement, fulfilling their role and purpose in life as Nonie, PawPaw and chauffeurs to their grandchildren. Sarah is super excited to be coaching at Mercy this year.