Latin volleyball coach Pignetti to retire; Ardrey Kell's Bell will take the job

To contact us Click HERE

Charlotte Latin volleyball and assistant athletic director Suzie Pignetti will retire in June, the school announced Wednesday.

Ardrey Kell volleyball coach Zoe Bell will succeed Pignetti as head of the Latin varsity team and volleyball program.

Pignetti has been the head coach at Charlotte Latin since 2001. Under Pignetti, the Hawks have won 11 consecutive conference championships and nine consecutive state championships. In her 35-year coaching career at Latin, Butler and Charlotte Country Day, she compiled at 745-150 record.

Overall, she's won 29 conference championships and 15 state championships. She was the AVCA 2012 National High School Coach of the Year.

Pignetti, a breast cancer survivor, also founded Serve for the Cure Volleyball Tournament at Charlotte Latin, which benefits Susan G. Komen for the Cure in North Carolina. Since it started 11 years ago, the event has raised more than $300,000 for breast cancer research and education.

Bell, who will take over the program July 1, comes to Latin after winning her first state championship at Ardrey Kell in 2012. In her career as coach at Ardrey Kell and Providence High, Bell has led her teams to 13 Southwestern 4A conference championships and five N.C. High School Athletic Association state titles.

She was named conference coach of the year 11 times and shared the Observer's 2012 volleyball coach of the year honor with Pignetti.