A former Columbia High School hoops standout is sharing her knowledge of the game as an assistant coach for a national champion collegiate basketball squad.

Hannah Varel, a 2011 CHS graduate, serves as an assistant coach on the Transylvania University women’s basketball team that completed an undefeated 33-0 season by winning the NCAA Division III championship April 1 in Dallas.

Transyvlania University is located in Lexington, Ky.

Varel was a key player for the Eagles girls hoops squad her junior and seniors years. As a junior, she averaged 11.7 points per game. As a senior, Varel averaged 12.3 points per game and shot 74 percent from the free throw line. 

A 2015 graduate of the University of Missouri in Columbia, Varel earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accountancy and later gained her CPA from the Missouri State Board of Accountancy. 

Following her graduation, Varel gained coaching experience as an assistant women’s coach at CHS from 2015-18.

Varel spent three years with PricewaterhouseCooper in St. Louis as an assurance senior associate, managing 20 team members. She also served as team captain for the PwC International Basketball Tournament with a traveling team in Athens, Greece during the summer of 2018.

From there, Varel joined Hanover College in Indiana as an assistant coach. She was part of the 2019-20 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Coaching Staff of the Year as she helped the Panthers achieve a 17-1 record in conference play.

This was her third season at Transylvania University. 

Last month, the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association named Varel as a member of their “30 Under 30” class. This program recognizes 30 up-and-coming women’s basketball coaches aged 30 and under at all levels of the game. 

Each honoree has exemplified their involvement in community service, mentorship and impact on others, professional manner, and attitude and professional association involvement, the WBCA said.

A battle of undefeated squads ended with Transylvania topping Christopher Newport, 57-52, for the national title. 

“Hannah is an exceptionally hardworking coach with a natural ability to connect with players on and off the court,” Transylvania women’s basketball head coach Juli Fulks said. “She understands what championship basketball requires. She is an integral part of our staff and basketball family.”