Bri Olmstead - Volleyball Coach - Colorado State Athletics

Bri Olmstead

Title:
Director of Volleyball Operations
Email:
bri.frech@colostate.edu
Phone:
(970) 491-6410

Former Rams standout Bri Olmstead enters her 17th season as a full-time member with the Colorado State staff in 2023, and 12th as the program's Director of Operations. She is responsible for all off-the-court duties, including scheduling, travel logistics and the organization of CSU's summer camps. She is the program's first-ever director of operations, a position which was created prior to the 2012 season.

After working with former Head Coach Tom Hilbert for all 17 seasons with the Rams, Olmstead was assured her position would remain the same when current Head Coach Emily Kohan was announced to be Hilbert's successor in December 2022.

Olmstead, formerly Bri Frech, first joined the Rams as a player in 2003 after spending her freshman and sophomore seasons at Salt Lake City Community College. During the 2003 and 2004 seasons, Olmstead was a consistent starter for the Rams, earning All-Mountain West (2004) and MW Championships honors (2003, 2004) while leading CSU to NCAA bids both years and a combined 56-9 record (.862). As a junior, CSU advanced to the NCAA Regional Semifinals, and during Olmstead's senior season, the Rams were ranked as high as No. 9 nationally. Olmstead was a rare six-rotation middle blocker due to her exceptional serving and passing ability.

Today, she still ranks first in CSU volleyball history with 0.41 aces per set, totaling 92 over her two-year career. Her 1.22 career blocks-per-set average ranks eighth, and her .956 reception percentage ranks seventh. In 2003, she recorded 51 service aces, the sixth-most in CSU single-season history. Olmstead holds several of CSU's top individual single-match marks, as well, including a .654 hitting percentage (19-2-26) against Florida A&M on Aug. 30, 2003 (fourth-best for five-set matches), seven aces vs. New Mexico on Nov. 15, 2003 (tied-second for three-set matches) and 10 block assists on two occasions (tied-second for three-set matches).

Off the court, she was an outstanding student-athlete, something she's been able to carry over as a member of the Rams staff. Olmstead was a two-time Mountain West Academic All-Conference selection, and in 2003-04 became the program's first-ever Mountain West Scholar-Athlete.

In 2005, Olmstead served as a student-assistant for the Rams while completing her degree. She then played professionally in France for MVS La Rochette during the 2006 season. Her club finished second in the French league that year.

Olmstead returned to Fort Collins in 2007 to pursue a career in coaching. She was the team's video and statistics coordinator during the 2007 season, before joining the staff full-time as an assistant coach from 2008-11. As an assistant, her emphasis was on first-contact defense, serving and scouting.

She tutored the school's top libero, Katelin Batten (2006-09), who holds the CSU record for career digs (1,783). On the serving end, CSU set a program record for serve percentage in 2011, effectively serving at a 92.4 percent rate. The statistic began being tracked in 2001, and from 2009 to 2011, all under Olmstead, CSU had its top three percentages at the time.

From 2008-11, CSU won three conference titles and advanced as far as the 2009 NCAA Round of 16. CSU's overall record with Olmstead on the bench as an assistant coach was 98-24 (.803), including at least one NCAA tournament victory each year. Of Olmstead's 12 seasons with CSU, in any capacity, the Rams have won 10 regular-season conference titles, in addition to three conference tournament championships in four tries. CSU has played in the NCAA tournament all 12 seasons with Olmstead.

A native of Eschwege, Germany, she received a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from CSU in 2005. She is married to Charlie Olmstead and has two daughters Lilly and AJ.

Career Background

Seasons	School/Team	Title
2005	Colorado State	Student-Assistant
2007	Colorado State	Video Coordinator
2008-11	Colorado State	Assistant Coach
2012-Present	Colorado State	Director of Operations

Postseason Experience

Season	School/Team	Position	Appearance
2003	Colorado State	Player	NCAA Tournament Regional Semifinals
2004	Colorado State	Player	NCAA Tournament Regional First Round
2005	Colorado State	Student-Assistant	NCAA Tournament Regional Quarterfinals
2007	Colorado State	Video Coordinator	NCAA Tournament Regional Quarterfinals
2008	Colorado State	Assistant Coach	NCAA Tournament Regional Quarterfinals
2009	Colorado State	Assistant Coach	NCAA Tournament Regional Semifinals
2010	Colorado State	Assistant Coach	NCAA Tournament Regional Quarterfinals
2011	Colorado State	Assistant Coach	NCAA Tournament Regional Quarterfinals
2012	Colorado State	Director of Operations	NCAA Tournament First Round
2013	Colorado State	Director of Operations	NCAA Tournament First Round
2014	Colorado State	Director of Operations	NCAA Tournament Regional Semifinals
2015	Colorado State	Director of Operations	NCAA Tournament First Round
2016	Colorado State	Director of Operations	NCAA Tournament First Round
2017	Colorado State	Director of Operations	NCAA Tournament Second Round
2018	Colorado State	Director of Operations	NCAA Tournament First Round
2019	Colorado State	Director of Operations	NCAA Tournament First Round
2021	Colorado State	Director of Operations	NIVC Second Round