Welcome to the Going Beyond The Baseline website. 

2018 Honorary Captain 

Bruce Billingsley

Bruce Billingsley, the winningest coach in St. Ambrose volleyball history, was at the helm of the Queen Bees for 19 years after seven years at the former Marycrest International University. He led the Queen Bees to back-to-back NAIA National Championship Tournament appearances in 2009 and 2010, and is a six-time Midwest Collegiate Conference Coach of the Year. 

Billingsley started the men’s volleyball programs at both MIU and SAU.

Athletic Success:In his career at SAU, Billingsley's teams earned nine conference championships, made seven regional and three national tournament appearances. Billingsley coached nine All-Americans, six conference Players of the Year and two conference Setters of the Year.

Academic Success:Under Billingsley, the Queen Bees received eight American Volleyball Coaches Association Team Academic Awards, for a team GPA over 3.4 on a 4.0 scale. The program produced 46 NAIA Scholar-Athletes.

Milestones:Billingsley picked up his 600th career win when SAU defeated Grand View 3-0 on Oct. 23, 2012. He earned national recognition in 1995 by winning conference championships and coach of the year honors in the same school year with both his men's and women's teams at Marycrest. 

Billingsley attended Level III training in USA Volleyball's Coaching Accreditation Program and was a regional instructor for USA Volleyball's Impact coaching certification program for Junior Olympic volleyball coaches.

Leadership in Volleyball: Billingsley was on the Board of Directors for the Iowa Region of USA Volleyball during the transition of the organization from volunteer based leadership to a permanent office with full-time staff.

He was the National Commissioner for NAIA Men’s Volleyball during their transition from a non-sanctioned sport to a recognized National Invitational Tournament and finally to a National Championship Sport.

Billingsley has been the tournament director for over 100 tournaments, including youth, collegiate and adult at the local level and eight NAIA Men’s Volleyball National Tournaments.

During 26 years of volleyball camps, Billingsley along with his assistant coaches and players hosted over 7000 campers.

Personal Life: Prior to coaching volleyball, Billingsley was President and CEO of Cinarco-Elliott Audio-Visual and Computer Centers in Davenport and Moline. Billingsley earned his BA in Economics and Business Administration at Knox College and his Masters in Business Administration at the University of Iowa.

In addition to coaching, Billingsley was an assistant athletic director and sports information director at St. Ambrose. He currently teaches two or three classes per semester in the Department of Kinesiology.

Coach Billingsley and his wife Linda have two sons, Randy (28) and Matthew (25).

Coaching Career Highlights - Women

●      Midwest Collegiate Conference Champions - 1994, 97, 98, 99, 2001, 06, 08, 09, 10

●      MCC Coach of the Year - 1994, 98, 99, 2001, 04, 06

●      NAIA Regional Champions - 1999

●      NAIA Region VII Coach of the Year - 1999, 2006

●      NAIA National Tournament - 17th Place 1999, 13th Place 2009, 13th Place 2010

Coaching Career Highlights - Men

●      Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association Champions - 1995, 96, 97

●      MIVA Coach of the Year - 1995, 97

●      NIRSA Collegiate Nationals - 5th Place 1996, 97

●      NIRSA Collegiate Nationals - 9th Place 1995

●      NAIA National Invitational Tournament - 5th Place 2003