Lesley Drury Prather, Former Cardinal Volleyball Star, Passes Away
February 14, 2020 | Women's Volleyball
Lesley Drury Prather lettered from 1998-2001 for the Cardinals
The University of Louisville athletic department and the Cardinal Volleyball team is mourning the death of Cardinal Forever Lesley Drury Prather, a former star player and co-worker, who passed away earlier today.
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Prather, who lettered from 1998-2001, died in a car accident while travelling to a club volleyball tournament in Kansas City along with her daughter, Rhyan and Carrie McCaw and her daughter, Kacey.
"We are heartbroken for those lost in the tragic auto accident yesterday traveling to a volleyball tournament. It directly impacted our volleyball community in many ways to include Sarah Petkovic, our Director of Operations for Volleyball. She lost her sister and former Cardinal Lesley Prather, and niece, Rhyan, in the accident. Prayers to the Prather and McCaw families, their extended families, the KIVA Volleyball family, the Louisville Fire Department as well as the Louisville Athletics family. They will be missed but remembered," said Vince Tyra, VP for Athletics
 Prather was a standout player for the Cardinals and led UofL to three conference championships, four NCAA appearances and a Sweet Sixteen appearance. She was named All-Conference USA twice and was named to the AVCA All-Region team. A true student-athlete, Drury Prather was also named to the Athletic Director's and C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll for her commitment to academics.
"This will never, ever, ever make sense. I can't wrap my head around this. I'm struggling to put into words how beautiful and powerful of a human Lesley was. She was such a fierce yet loving soul and someone I always looked up to. Lesley is the type of superhuman we should truly all aspire to be. Lesley and her sweet girl are so fiercely loved and missed. I wish I could wrap my arms around Justin and the kids, Sarah, Mary, Stacey, Laura, her aunts, the whole family, our volleyball family, her friends and community, her firefighters and every single sweet life she has touched and made a difference in. My heart is absolutely broken. These words could never do justice to the sorrow we are all feeling. There will never be another like her and to say she was something special is an understatement," said Dr. Stacey Mercer, former UofL teammate.
Drury Prather graduated from the University of Louisville in 2002 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Marketing. In 2005, she also earned a Master's of Science in Sports Administration at Louisville.
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"No words can do her justice. She was such a great, great kid," said Leonid Yelin, former Cardinal head volleyball who coached her during her career at UofL. "Nothing I could say could do her justice or be enough. She was a great student, a great athlete, a fierce competitor, a great person, and a great mom. She was the best teammate and always put her team first. I was blessed to have coached her. My thoughts go out to her husband, Justin, and their children. My heart is broken in a million pieces."
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After graduation, she was on the athletic staff as a Coordinator for CardsCare and worked in athletic marketing. Her love of volleyball was always evident as she served as head volleyball coach in IU Southeast from  2009-2012. She led the Grenadiers to four-straight KIAC Semifinal appearances and never had a losing record during her tenure. Her overall record at IU Southeast was 81-63 (.562). She was active in the club coaching scene, coaching for KIVA, a local Louisville volleyball club.
"We are reeling from the loss of our fellow Cardinal, who was a warrior on the court and a hero as a firefighter. More importantly, Lesley was a funny, wonderful, loving, kind friend, mom, sister, wife and Cardinal. Her loss is incalculable," said Dani Busboom Kelly, UofL head volleyball coach.
 After resigning from IU Southeast in 2012, Prather joined the Louisville Metro Fire Department.
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A native of Louisville, Drury-Prather attended high school at Pleasure Ridge Park (PRP) where she lettered in three sports (volleyball, women's basketball, and track). She was married to fellow Cardinal Forever Justin Prather and they were the parents of four children. She was the older sister to the current UofL volleyball director of operations Sarah Drury Petkovic.
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Prather, who lettered from 1998-2001, died in a car accident while travelling to a club volleyball tournament in Kansas City along with her daughter, Rhyan and Carrie McCaw and her daughter, Kacey.
"We are heartbroken for those lost in the tragic auto accident yesterday traveling to a volleyball tournament. It directly impacted our volleyball community in many ways to include Sarah Petkovic, our Director of Operations for Volleyball. She lost her sister and former Cardinal Lesley Prather, and niece, Rhyan, in the accident. Prayers to the Prather and McCaw families, their extended families, the KIVA Volleyball family, the Louisville Fire Department as well as the Louisville Athletics family. They will be missed but remembered," said Vince Tyra, VP for Athletics
 Prather was a standout player for the Cardinals and led UofL to three conference championships, four NCAA appearances and a Sweet Sixteen appearance. She was named All-Conference USA twice and was named to the AVCA All-Region team. A true student-athlete, Drury Prather was also named to the Athletic Director's and C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll for her commitment to academics.
"This will never, ever, ever make sense. I can't wrap my head around this. I'm struggling to put into words how beautiful and powerful of a human Lesley was. She was such a fierce yet loving soul and someone I always looked up to. Lesley is the type of superhuman we should truly all aspire to be. Lesley and her sweet girl are so fiercely loved and missed. I wish I could wrap my arms around Justin and the kids, Sarah, Mary, Stacey, Laura, her aunts, the whole family, our volleyball family, her friends and community, her firefighters and every single sweet life she has touched and made a difference in. My heart is absolutely broken. These words could never do justice to the sorrow we are all feeling. There will never be another like her and to say she was something special is an understatement," said Dr. Stacey Mercer, former UofL teammate.
Drury Prather graduated from the University of Louisville in 2002 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Marketing. In 2005, she also earned a Master's of Science in Sports Administration at Louisville.
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"No words can do her justice. She was such a great, great kid," said Leonid Yelin, former Cardinal head volleyball who coached her during her career at UofL. "Nothing I could say could do her justice or be enough. She was a great student, a great athlete, a fierce competitor, a great person, and a great mom. She was the best teammate and always put her team first. I was blessed to have coached her. My thoughts go out to her husband, Justin, and their children. My heart is broken in a million pieces."
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After graduation, she was on the athletic staff as a Coordinator for CardsCare and worked in athletic marketing. Her love of volleyball was always evident as she served as head volleyball coach in IU Southeast from  2009-2012. She led the Grenadiers to four-straight KIAC Semifinal appearances and never had a losing record during her tenure. Her overall record at IU Southeast was 81-63 (.562). She was active in the club coaching scene, coaching for KIVA, a local Louisville volleyball club.
"We are reeling from the loss of our fellow Cardinal, who was a warrior on the court and a hero as a firefighter. More importantly, Lesley was a funny, wonderful, loving, kind friend, mom, sister, wife and Cardinal. Her loss is incalculable," said Dani Busboom Kelly, UofL head volleyball coach.
 After resigning from IU Southeast in 2012, Prather joined the Louisville Metro Fire Department.
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A native of Louisville, Drury-Prather attended high school at Pleasure Ridge Park (PRP) where she lettered in three sports (volleyball, women's basketball, and track). She was married to fellow Cardinal Forever Justin Prather and they were the parents of four children. She was the older sister to the current UofL volleyball director of operations Sarah Drury Petkovic.
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