Nicole Barringer joined the Averett volleyball staff as an assistant in May 2015 following a storied four-year playing career for the Cougars.
In her first year with the Cougars, Averett finished 27-11 overall and 17-2 in the USA South Conference while winning the USA South's North Division championship. Smith helped coach three USA South All-Conference selections, as well as one American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America selection and one AVCA All-Region Selection, one all-state selection and one all-state rookie of the year.
A setter from Landis, North Carolina, Barringer finished her playing career with 4,654 assists with an average of 9.99 assists and 2.09 digs per set in 466 sets over 141 career matches. She also totaled 165 service aces and 126 blocks. As a senior, Barringer earned American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Honorable Mention All-America honors after being voted to the AVCA All-South Region Team. In addition, she was selected to the USA South All-Conference First Team and the USA South All-Tournament Team after finishing fifth in the nation in total assists. Barringer twice earned USA South All-Conference honors all four years at Averett, including First Team recognition twice. She also helped Averett win the 2013 USA South North Division championship.
Barringer has also succeeded off the court as a three-time USA South Academic All-Conference selection. She was Averett's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) president and is a national representative for SAAC at the NCAA. As a junior, Barringer earned Averett's prestigious Frank Campbell Sportsmanship Award and was named Averett's Barbara Kushubar Female Student-Athlete of the Year as a senior. She also received the two most prestigious honors from the USA South Conference following her senior year. Barringer was named the female recipient of the USA South's prestigious Don Scalf Award as the conference's student-athlete of the year and she was selected as the USA South's Woman of the Year.
Barringer gained valuable experience serving as a summer volleyball camp instructor and coaching club volleyball with Carolina Juniors Volleyball (Charlotte, North Carolina) and Sports Academy (Statesville, North Carolina). She also attended the 2016 NCAA Emerging Leaders Seminar, as well as other national conferences through her role with SAAC. She currently serves as an advisor for Averett SAAC.
After serving as a student assistant coach during the spring of 2015, Barringer graduated from Averett in May 2015 with a degree in criminal justice. She is pursuing her master's of business administration.
