Fiona Barkley joined the leadership team in 2021 as an Assistant Athletics Director while also serving as head volleyball coach. In 2023, she transitioned to focus solely on her role as Associate Athletics Director and Senior Woman Administrator, stepping away from coaching. She left the volleyball program on a high note, leading her team to achieve a historic 4th-place preseason ranking in the USA South, as well as winning both the regular season and tournament titles.
Barkley began her tenure at Meredith College in 2007 as head coach of the Avenging Angels volleyball team, marking the program's first year in the USA South Athletic Conference. She previously served as an assistant volleyball coach at NC State University, Elon University, and Lynn University.
Over her 16 years leading the Meredith volleyball program, Barkley compiled a 291-186 overall record and a 177-87 conference record. Her leadership led the team to three NCAA Tournament appearances, three USA South Conference Tournament championships, and three USA South Regular Season titles. Her players have earned numerous accolades, including USA South Rookie of the Year (2x), Libero of the Year (2x), and Player of the Year (1x). Meredith has also had 40 players named USA South All-Conference and 8 All-Tournament, including a Tournament MVP. Notably, Karlie Long, Caroline Corey, and Lauren Bissette received AVCA All-Region honors, and in 2014, Long became the program's first AVCA All-American. In 2016, Corey was named AVCA South Region Freshman of the Year. Barkley was honored with the USA South Coach of the Year award on two occasions.
Beyond coaching, Barkley has taken on various roles at Meredith, including director of the athletics annual golf tournament, SAAC advisor, and director of the annual athletics banquet. She has also been a guest lecturer at UNC Chapel Hill, an adjunct online professor at Messiah University, and a lead instructor at Meredith College.
A former collegiate volleyball player at Elon University (1995-1998), Barkley (MacPherson) earned over 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs as an outside hitter. She was named South Atlantic All-Conference, AVCA Division II National Player of the Week, and team MVP. In 1996, she was part of the South Atlantic Conference championship team and helped transition Elon from Division II to Division I as a member of the Big South Conference. Barkley (MacPherson) is also a member of the Palm Beach Gardens HS Hall of Fame, for her high school career as a decorated 3-sport athlete (volleyball, softball, and soccer).
Barkley holds a BS in Sports Management from Elon University and an MBA with a concentration in Sports Administration from Lynn University.
Originally from South Florida, Coach Barkley now resides in the Raleigh area with her husband, three children, and two dogs.
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