Hunnell became the fifth head coach for HPU women's golf in June of 2022.
In her second season at HPU, Hunnell led the team to a top-10 finish in all 10 events the Panthers participated in, the best being their first-place finish at the UNCG Collegiate where the team secured a score of 286, 287, 282 (858) -6. Breakout freshman, Anna Howerton, led the team at UNCG as she finished as the tournament's medalist with a score of 66, 67, 68 (201) -15. At the end of the season, HPU finished third at the Big South Championship Stroke Play Tournament with a score of 298, 305, 298 (901) +37. Following the third round of stroke play, three High Point student-athletes were bestowed the three major yearly conference awards as Julia McLaughlin took home the Newcomer of the Year award, Anna Howerton secured the Freshman of the Year award, and Ella Perna was bestowed the Golfer of the Year award.
In Hunnell's first historic season at the helm, she was crowned the 2023 Big South Coach of the Year after guiding the Panthers to a Big South Conference Championship Runner-up title. Throughout the season, the team earned three tournament wins (Grandover Classic, Battle of the Triad, and Rivertowne Invitational), while Sarah Kahn took home three individual medals, including the Big South Champion Title (3rd in program history). Kahn went on to win the Big South Player of the Year and compete at the NCAA Regionals, becoming the second Panther in program history to compete as an individual. Her sixth place finish recorded the highest finish at an NCAA Regional in program history.
During the 2022-23 season, three golfers were named to the Big South All-Conference teams (Kahn-first team, Ella Perna & Danielle Suh-Honorable Mention). Seven were named the Big South Golfers of the Week (Kahn (3), Perna (3), & Ekman (1)) and four were named to the WGCA All-Scholar Award list.
The 2022-23 team broke multiple program records including, the 54-Hole Low Score: 869 (+5) on February 28, the 36-Hole Low Score: 580 (+4) on February 27, and the 36-Hole Low Score: 583 (+7) on October 10. The 2022-23 team became the first HPU team to advance to Big South Match Play Finals on April 15 along with having the first HPU Big South Player of the Year and the first HPU player to finish Top-10 at an NCAA Regional on May 10.
Hunnell comes to High Point after spending the previous three seasons as an assistant coach at Campbell University where she helped the Fighting Camels to two-straight Big South Golf Championships in her three seasons on staff. She also helped develop the 2021 and 2022 Big South Golfers of the Year in Anna Nordfors and Emily Hawkins. As three-time Big South Champions, Hunnell joined the Fighting Camels as NCAA Regional participants as eight Campbell golfers earned WGCA Scholar All-American honors.
Prior to Campbell, Hunnell herself was a student-athlete at Virginia as she graduated with her undergraduate degree in 2018 before transferring to Xavier to play as a graduate transfer. She competed in the 2016 U.S. Women's Amateur championship and was a member of both UVA Women's Golf ACC Championship teams in 2015 and 2016. While earning a Masters degree in sports administration from Xavier, Hunnell earned Big East All-Conference honors and lead the Musketeers to its first Big East title and NCAA Regional appearance.
Hunnell is from Troutville, Virginia.
