MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The many successes of Northeast Mississippi Community College's Brenda Mayes are once again being recognized by her peers in the coaching profession.
Mayes is one of three state championship winners that will be enshrined into the Alabama High School Volleyball Coaches Association (AHSVCA) Hall of Fame as part of its class of 2024.
The induction ceremony will take place following the second set of the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) North-South All-Star Game on Thursday, July 18 at the Montgomery Multiplex at Cramton Bowl.
"It's a blessing and it's a gift from God," said Mayes. "I'm proud that He led me into this field. Hopefully I've made an impact to the young women that I've been associated with.
"I actually went through and looked at the previous inductees and there are some legends in there. To be able to be put in a class with people of that caliber, it's just a great honor."
Mayes is still one of the top 10 winningest coaches in AHSAA history nearly a decade after leaving the state to return to her first collegiate alma mater. She recorded 1,143 victories over 26 prominent seasons at Muscle Shoals (Ala.) High School.
She led the Lady Trojans to the state finals five times and captured four consecutive titles in Class 5A from 1998-2001. Her teams reached the AHSAA Elite Eight 11 times, including seven in a row starting in 1997, and only missed the postseason twice.
Muscle Shoals racked up 14 area championships plus 10 runner-up finishes with Mayes directing its program. The Lady Trojans also secured 13 Colbert County Tournament titles along with four second place showings.
Mayes was the national volleyball coach of the year in 2001. She also obtained statewide coach of the year from both The Birmingham News and the Alabama High School Athletic Directors and Coaches Association (AHSADCA).
She coached in the AHSAA North-South All-Star Game herself in 1999. Among her other accolades are the Pathfinder Award from the Alabama State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (ASAHPERD) and the AHSAA's Making a Difference Award.
Mayes instructed the girls basketball, softball and track programs as well during her tenure at Muscle Shoals. She accumulated more than 1,500 total wins between all sports at the prep level.
She is entering her tenth year back at Northeast after originally arriving on campus as a women's basketball player in the 1980s. Mayes earned all-conference distinction by topping the Lady Tigers in scoring and rebounding during the 1982-83 campaign.
Mayes currently serves as assistant athletic director and is about to embark on year two as the inaugural leader of Northeast's volleyball program. The Lady Tigers were one of only four teams last season inside the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference (MACCC).
The Biggersville High School graduate was the women's basketball coach at Northeast from 2015-22. She guided the Lady Tigers to five playoff appearances and the 2018 north division crown.
She moved 12 of her student-athletes on to four-year institutions. Ten Lady Tigers procured all-conference honors under Mayes' watch while Calysia Phillips was decorated as an All-American by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).
Mayes concluded her playing career at the University of North Alabama. She helped the Lady Lions collect their initial Gulf South Conference (GSC) championship and a pair of NCAA Tournament berths.
She was named to the NCAA Division II All-South Regional and Kodak All-American teams following her senior campaign. Mayes was a two-time All-GSC recipient as well with 919 total points at North Alabama.
Mayes is now a member of seven different sports halls of fame, including the Alabama High School, Colbert County, Muscle Shoals, North Alabama, Northeast and the MACCC.