Danyel Bellush

Danyel Bellush enters her 14th season at the helm of the Lady Buccaneer volleyball program. Bellush brings years of playing and coaching experience to the team and is no stranger to CSU volleyball. She played for four years for the Lady Bucs and was the team captain and lone senior in her last season.

In each of the last five years, Bellush has led a strong cast of players, including 2008-09 First Team All-Conference performer Amanda Hill, 2006 first-team all-conference performer Jenni Shepherd, and 2005 second-team selection Katie O'Riordan.

The CSU record books have been rewritten under the direction of Bellush.  Hill broke the single season attacks and kills records during the 2008 season.  The 2008 team alone had 23 additions to the individual single season and career leaders, followed by 40 additions from the 2009 cast.  The single-season assist record was broken by O'Riordan in 2003, while the rest of the 2003 team set team season records in kills and assists.

During Bellush's senior year as a player, she led the team in digs (242) and digs per game (2.521) while recording 137 kills and 17 aces. Her junior year was shortened with a severe knee injury 12 matches into the season that required surgery on her anterior cruciate ligament and cost her the rest of her junior year.

As a sophomore she played in 104 of 106 possible games and finished fourth in kills per game (1.337) and digs per game (2.510). She played in 28 of 33 matches as a freshman. Bellush was an all-state selection and team most valuable player at Osbourn Park High School.

She coaches for the USVBA, serving as coach for the Charleston Junior Olympic girls team. The Manassas, Virginia, native graduated from Charleston Southern in the spring of 1997 with a degree in physical education and a minor in secondary education. She received her master’s degree in elementary education in 2001.

Formerly known around the league as Danyel Lonigro, she was married to former CSU baseball standout B.J. Bellush in July of 2000. She is now the proud mother of two daughters, Tanner and Reece Bellush, who are 5 years and 3 years old respectively.