01/12/2026
Glenna Batchelder, HCC’s First Volleyball Coach, Passes After Courageous Battle with Dementia
Highland Community College Volleyball mourns the passing of Glenna Batchelder, the founding head coach of Scottie Volleyball and a true trailblazer in women’s athletics.
The inaugural season of Scottie Volleyball began in the fall of 1974. As Highland celebrated 50 years of volleyball prior to the 2025 season, it was fitting to reflect on the legacy that Glenna helped build from the very beginning. What started as her first and only stint as a head coach ultimately became a remarkable 27-season career with the Scotties.
During those years, Glenna recorded at least 18 winning seasons, only two losing seasons, and one season finishing even. While six seasons were not documented in early yearbooks, her overall impact is undeniable — she remains the winningest volleyball coach in Highland history, leading successful teams for the vast majority of her career.
Former players will tell you that playing for Glenna was special — not only because of the success on the court, but because she genuinely cared for her athletes. She set high expectations and ran demanding practices, yet she never stopped believing in her players. Once Glenna recruited you, she was committed to helping you succeed — not only as an athlete, but as a person.
Glenna’s contributions to Highland extended far beyond volleyball. She also served as an admissions representative, coached cheer and dance, taught education courses, and willingly stepped into whatever role was needed. She believed that athletics were a powerful classroom for teaching life skills. Her athletes learned responsibility, confidence, perseverance, and leadership — lessons that served them well as professionals, parents, community members, and simply as good human beings.
Success did not come easily. Glenna worked tirelessly and remained deeply invested in her players long after they left campus. Current Scottie head coach Andrea Keller played for Glenna during her final two seasons and recalls many fond memories:
“Playing for Glenna was a true adventure. The gym was HOT, and we learned the true meaning of sucking it up — she didn’t take it easy on us! She also wanted her players to experience the finer things in life. It brought her so much joy to let us stay at the Doubletree Inn and eat at Red Lobster. While I had grown up privileged, that was not the case for many of my teammates. I later learned how important it was to Glenna that everyone had the opportunity to be treated like a queen. She wanted the best for all of her players and was a source of strength and encouragement to countless young women.”
Glenna was a motivator, a disciplinarian, and a leader both on campus and in the community. She began coaching at a time when women’s athletics were still emerging, and she worked tirelessly to ensure that her athletes had equitable opportunities, proper resources, and the support they needed to succeed. Her advocacy and leadership helped shape the foundation of women’s sports at Highland. She was truly a trailblazer.
Beyond campus, Glenna and her husband Bill raised two children, David and Amy, operated a family dairy farm, and were deeply involved in the Highland community. After Bill’s passing in 2021, Glenna’s health began to decline. True to form, the community she had served so faithfully rallied around her. Friends gathered often — sharing meals, taking golf cart rides around town, enjoying sunshine in the backyard, and cherishing time together. Glenna faced dementia with the same courage, determination, and positivity that defined her life.
Her influence continues to shape Scottie Volleyball today. The values she instilled — excellence, resilience, compassion, and leadership — remain central to the program fifty years later.
So long for now, Coach Batchelder. Thank you for building a legacy that continues to inspire. We hope Scottie Volleyball continues to make you proud.
https://neptunesociety.com/obituaries/arvada-co/glenna-batchelder-12694158?fbclid=IwY2xjawPRKBRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeEORgNxjAG54FNygTXqP4XeQLyknhMma4k8hmmuy5eOZBQsNWDHND_cEouww_aem_BX8BrBBIFXI2L4E26c_hKA
Celebrate the life of Glenna Batchelder, leave a kind word or memory and get funeral service information care of Neptune Society.
