American Volleyball Coaches Association

The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) is an organization of over 9,000 members, incorporated as a private non-profit educational corporation in 1981, as the Collegiate Volleyball Coaches Association. It is currently headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky.

The original members of the AVCA were intercollegiate coaches who banded together to form this particular coaching body. In 1986, during the San Francisco convention, the membership recognized the growing and developing high school and club communities. The name of the association was then changed to reflect these growing constituencies. The original Collegiate Volleyball Coaches Association was renamed the American Volleyball Coaches Association with the intent of responding to and serving all volleyball coaches.

The organization also produces a weekly national poll for collegiate volleyball similar to how the Associated Press makes a poll for NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision.

Although incorporated as a non-profit in 1981, the AVCA began to grow and diversify, and a full-time executive director wasn't hired until July 1983. An associate director was hired in April 1986 and an administrative assistant in September 1988.

The Association moved from San Mateo, California, to Colorado Springs, Colorado, in August 1992. The staff has increased to the following positions: executive director, assistant executive director, director of operations, assistant director of events and public relations, manager of awards and membership, manager of communications, sales manager, and awards and membership specialist.

In 1986, the board was increased to 13 members, due to new membership increases averaging out at about 150 per year. In 1988, a boom of 106% new memberships occurred. Since 1986, high school membership has more than tripled. The AVCA has members in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, as well as, numerous international members. At the collegiate level, all major NCAA conferences are represented and membership among the club coaches has risen dramatically.

In July 2006 the association moved its headquarters to Lexington, Kentucky and entered into an association management partnership with Associations International (formally Host Communications then IMG College). The current president of the AVCA is Keegan Cook (head coach – University of Minnesota). The Chief Executive Officer is Dr. Jaime Gordon and the Chief Operating Officer is Jason Jones.

The beach volleyball championship was introduced to the women's collegiate scene by CBS College Sports with the Collegiate Nationals, an event founded by the network in the spring of 2006 to broadcast the national championships of several "action sports."^[1] The event was sponsored by the CBS College Sports Network, American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) and the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP).^[2]

In 2006, the AVP sanctioned a combine that selected 8 players from 8 colleges and paired them into teams (title was won by Bibiana Candelas (USC)/Paula Gentil (Minnesota)). In 2007 Nebraska (Jordan Larson/Sarah Pavan) won an invitational competition of 8 colleges, which featured only two players per school, as opposed to entire teams. 2008 saw Texas win an invitational, sponsored by AVCA and AVP, involving 6 schools with four doubles squads each. In 2009, USC prevailed over an invited field of 8 colleges with four doubles squads each. In 2010, the competition reverted to one doubles squad per school, with 12 colleges invited; it was won by Loyola Marymount (Emily Day/Heather Hughes). The two-player team format continued in 2011, except that players were paired with different partners from other schools for every match, until the semi-final winners were determined. That year there was also a men's competition in the same format.

In 2010 the NCAA categorized women's beach volleyball as an "emerging sport." Beginning in the spring of 2012 the AVCA began sponsoring a national championship tournament for women's collegiate beach volleyball. The AVCA has separate brackets for teams and for individual pairs. The champions of the team tournaments are:

• 2012 – Pepperdine
• 2013 – Long Beach State
• 2014 – Pepperdine
• 2015 – USC

The NCAA granted full sponsorship to beach volleyball in all three NCAA divisions, with the first NCAA championship being held in May, 2016.

From 1995 to 2012, the AVCA put on an annual tournament held in the beginning of each season, called the AVCA Showcase. Through 2011, four teams, usually ranked in the top 15, competed for the AVCA Showcase title. As of 2007, the showcase champion had gone on to the NCAA Final Four 10 times out of 13. The only time the winner failed to advance to the Final Four was Colorado State in 2000, Texas in 2006 and Nebraska in 2007. However, only twice has the showcase champion won the NCAA Championship: Long Beach State in 1998 and Southern California in 2003.

In 2012, the Showcase featured four collegiate teams competing in one match each against the Chinese Volleyball League champion, Jiangsu.

Past sponsors include NACWAA, Runza Restaurants, Rockvale Outlets and State Farm.

Both Big West volleyball and Big Ten Conference volleyball have been prominently featured in this tournament throughout the years.

Given out annually for Division I, II, and III women and Division I/II (combined) and III for men, the following is a list of past awards for both men and women.

Division I National Coach of the Year

Year	Image	Name	School
1982		Dave Shoji*†	Hawai'i
1983		Taras Liskevych†	Pacific
1984		Leilani Overstreet	Fresno State
1985		Mike Hebert†	Illinois
1986		Terry Pettit†	Nebraska
1987		Kathy DeBoer†	Kentucky
1988		Lisa Love†	UTSA
1989		Andy Banachowski†	UCLA
1990		Russ Rose†	Penn State
1991		Don Shaw†	Stanford
1992		Mary Wise	Florida
1993		Kathy Gregory	UCSB
1994		Terry Pettit†	Nebraska
1995		Chuck Erbe†	Michigan State
1996		Mary Wise	Florida
1997		Russ Rose†	Penn State
1998		Brian Gimmillaro*†	Long Beach State
1999		Iradge Ahrabi-Fard†	Northern Iowa
2000		John Cook*†	Nebraska
2001		John Dunning*†	Stanford
2002		Bobbi Petersen	Northern Iowa
2003		Mick Haley*†	USC
2004		Jim McLaughlin†	Washington
2005		John Cook†	Nebraska
2006		Andy Banachowski†	UCLA
2007 2008		Russ Rose**†	Penn State
2009		Dave Shoji†	Hawai'i
2010		Rich Feller	California
2011		Michael Sealy*	UCLA
2012		Jerritt Elliott*	Texas
2013		Russ Rose†	Penn State
2014		Shawn Olmstead	BYU
2015		Hugh McCutcheon	Minnesota
2016		John Dunning*†	Stanford
2017		Mary Wise	Florida
2018		Heather Olmstead	BYU
2019		Ryan McGuyre	Baylor
2020		Craig Skinner*	Kentucky
2021		Dani Busboom Kelly	Louisville
2022		Jennifer Petrie	San Diego
2023		John Cook†	Nebraska

Penn State and Nebraska lead all schools with 5 winners. Stanford, UCLA, and Florida have 3 winners each. Hawai'i, Kentucky, BYU, and Northern Iowa follow with 2 winners each, while the remaining schools have had 1 winner.

The AVC began awarding the Division I National Assistant Coach of the Year in 2009.

• 2023: Kellen Petrone, Pittsburgh
• 2022: Dan Meske, Louisville
• 2021: Brittany Dildine, Wisconsin
• 2020: Leslie Gabriel, Washington
• 2019: Angie Oxley Behrens, Creighton
• 2018: Burdette Greeny, Washington State
• 2017: Lindsey Gray-Walton, Kentucky
• 2016: Dani Busboom Kelly, Nebraska
• 2015: Laura "Bird" Kuhn, Kansas
• 2014: Eva Rackham, North Carolina
• 2013: Salima Rockwell, Texas
• 2012: Denise Corlett, Stanford
• 2011: Holly Watts, Florida State
• 2010: Denise Corlett, Stanford
• 2009: Kelly Files, Oklahoma

Since 1985, the AVCA has recognized the Division I national player(s) of the year.

Division I National Player of the Year

Year	Image	Name	School
1985		Kim Oden	Stanford
1986		Mariliisa Salmi	BYU
1987		Teee Williams*	Hawaiʻi
1988		Tara Cross	Long Beach State
1989		Teee Williams	Hawaiʻi
		Tara Cross*	Long Beach State
1990		Beverly Oden	Stanford
1991		Antoinnette White	Long Beach State
1992		Natalie Williams	UCLA
1993		Danielle Scott*	Long Beach State
1994		Laura Davis	Ohio State
1995		Cary Wendell	Stanford
		Allison Weston*	Nebraska
1996		Angelica Ljungquist	Hawaiʻi
1997 1998		Misty May†*	Long Beach State
1999		Kerri Walsh	Stanford
		Lauren Cacciamani*	Penn State
2000		Greichaly Cepero*	Nebraska
2001 2002		Logan Tom*	Stanford
2003		Kim Willoughby	Hawaiʻi
2004		Stacey Gordon	Ohio State
		Ogonna Nnamani†*	Stanford
2005		Christina Houghtelling	Nebraska
2006		Sarah Pavan*†	Nebraska
2007		Foluke Akinradewo	Stanford
2008		Nicole Fawcett*	Penn State
2009		Megan Hodge*†	Penn State
2010		Carli Lloyd	California
2011		Alex Jupiter	USC
2012		Alaina Bergsma	Oregon
2013		Krista Vansant	Washington
2014		Micha Hancock*	Penn State
2015		Samantha Bricio	USC
2016		Sarah Wilhite	Minnesota
2017 2018		Kathryn Plummer*	Stanford
2019		Yossiana Pressley	Baylor
2020		Madison Lilley*	Kentucky
2021		Dana Rettke*	Wisconsin
2022		Logan Eggleston*	Texas
2023		Sarah Franklin	Wisconsin

Stanford leads all universities with 10 total selections (three co selections), followed by Long Beach State with 6 selections (one co), Nebraska, Penn State, and Hawai'i each have 4 selections. Ohio State (one co) and Southern California (USC) each have 2, while the remaining schools have had 1 winner.

Since 2001, the AVCA has recognized the Division I freshman player(s) of the year.

Division I National Freshman of the Year

Year	Image	Name	School
2001		Stacey Gordon†	Ohio State
2002		Kim Glass	Arizona
2003		Kanoe Kamana'o	Hawai'i
2004		Sarah Pavan†	Nebraska
2005		Nicole Fawcett†	Penn State
2006		Megan Hodge†	Penn State
2007		Juliann Faucette	Texas
2008		Kelly Murphy	Florida
2009		Lauren Cook	UCLA
2010		Deja McClendon	Penn State
2011		Haley Eckerman	Texas
2012		Ziva Recek	Florida
2013		Ebony Nwanebu	USC
2014		Ali Frantti	Penn State
2015		Hayley Hodson	Stanford
2016		Kathryn Plummer†	Stanford
2017		Dana Rettke†	Wisconsin
2018		Heather Gneiting	BYU
2019		Magda Jehlárová	Washington State
2020		Emily Londot	Ohio State
2021		Lexi Rodriguez	Nebraska
2022		Mimi Colyer	Oregon
2023		Olivia Babcock	Pittsburgh

Penn State leads all universities with 4 selections, followed by Stanford, Florida, Nebraska, Ohio State, and Texas who each have 2 selections. The remaining schools have had 1 winner.

For Division I/II men. Stanford (1991–92) and Penn State (2007–08) are the only schools in which both the men and women teams' coaches won the award in the same academic year.

• 2023: John Speraw, UCLA
• 2022: Donan Cruz, Ball State
• 2021: Rick McLaughlin, UCSB
• 2020: No award given due to the COVID-19 pandemic
• 2019: Charlie Wade, Hawai'i
• 2018: Alan Knipe, Long Beach State
• 2017: Alan Knipe, Long Beach State
• 2016: Pete Hanson, Ohio State
• 2015: Dan Friend, Lewis
• 2014: Shane Davis, Loyola–Chicago
• 2013: Chris McGown, BYU
• 2012: Bill Ferguson, USC
• 2011: Pete Hanson/David Kniffen Ohio State/UC Irvine
• 2010: John Kosty, Stanford
• 2009: Bill Ferguson, USC
• 2008: Mark Pavlik, Penn State
• 2007: Arnie Ball, IPFW
• 2006: John Speraw, UC Irvine
• 2005: Marv Dunphy, Pepperdine
• 2004: Alan Knipe, Long Beach State
• 2003: Dave Deuser, Lewis
• 2002: Mike Wilton, Hawai'i
• 2001: Carl McGown, BYU
• 2000: Pete Hanson, Ohio State
• 1999: Carl McGown, BYU
• 1998: Al Scates, UCLA
• 1997: Ruben Nieves, Stanford
• 1996: Al Scates, UCLA
• 1995: Don Shondell, Ball State
• 1994: Tom Peterson, Penn State
• 1993: Al Scates, UCLA
• 1992: Ruben Nieves, Stanford
• 1991: Ray Ratelle, Long Beach State

Long Beach State, Hawai'i, Penn State, Stanford, BYU, UCLA and Ohio State are the only universities in which a male and female volleyball player was named the AVCA NPOY. Pepperdine and Long Beach State lead with seven selections, followed by Hawai'i with five and UCLA with three.

• 2023: Jakob Thelle (Hawai'i)
• 2022: Alex Nikolov (Long Beach State)
• 2021: Rado Parapunov (Hawai'i)
• 2020: Gabi Garcia Fernandez (BYU)
• 2019: T.J. DeFalco (Long Beach State)
• 2018: Joshua Tuaniga (Long Beach State)
• 2017: T.J. DeFalco (Long Beach State)
• 2016: Nicolas Szerszeń (Ohio State)
• 2015: Thomas Jaeschke (Loyola-Chicago)
• 2014: Taylor Sander (BYU)
• 2013: Taylor Crabb (Long Beach State)
• 2012: Tony Ciarelli (USC)
• 2011: Murphy Troy (USC)
• 2010: Kawika Shoji (Stanford)
• 2009: Paul Carroll (Pepperdine)
• 2008: Matt Anderson (Penn State); Paul Lotman (Long Beach State)
• 2007: Jonathan Winder (Pepperdine)
• 2006: Jayson Jablonsky (UC Irvine)
• 2005: Sean Rooney (Pepperdine)
• 2004: Carlos Moreno (Brigham Young University)
• 2003: Costas Theocharidis (Hawai’i)
• 2002: Brad Keenan (Pepperdine)
• 2001: Costas Theocharidis (Hawai’i)
• 2000: Donald Suxho (USC)
• 1999: George Roumain (Pepperdine)
• 1998: George Roumain (Pepperdine)
• 1997: Ivan Contreras (Penn State)
• 1996: Yuval Katz (Hawai’i), Stein Metzger (UCLA)
• 1995: Jeff Nygaard (UCLA)
• 1994: Jeff Nygaard (UCLA)
• 1993: Canyon Ceman (Stanford)
• 1992: Brent Hilliard (Long Beach State)
• 1991: Bryan Ivie (USC)

• 1993: David Rubio (coach) (University of Arizona)^[3]

• 2017 – Alexis Glover and Zack Young
• 2016 – Jeni Case (Ursuline Academy, Cincinnati, OH) and Jan Barker, Amarillo High School, Amarillo, TX)
• 2015 – Nancy Dorsey (St. James Academy, Lenexa, KS) and Jean Kesterson (Cathedral High School, Indianapolis, IN)
• 2014 – Al Bennett (Westlake High School, Austin, TX) and Angie Spangenberg (Harlan Community High School, Harlan, IA)
• 2013 – Kim Lauwers (A.J. Dimond High School, Anchorage, AK) and Jody DeGroot (Bellarmine Preparatory School, Tacoma, WA)
• 2012 – Suzie Pignetti (Charlotte Latin School, Charlotte, NC) and Ron Kordes (Assumption High School, Louisville, KY)
• 2011 – Jeff Carroll (Billings Senior High School, Billings, MT) and Susan Brewer (Bellville High School, Bellville, TX)
• 2010 – Bill Morrin (Grantsburg High School, Grantsburg, WI) and Amy Steininger (Marion Local High School, Maria Stein, OH)
• 2009 – Bret Almazan-Cezar (Archbishop Mitty High School, Santa Clara, CA) and Anita Boeck (Arlington High School, Arlington, SD)
• 2008 – Todd Garvey (Mercy Academy, Louisville, KY) and Tom Turco (Barnstable High School, Hyannis, MA)

^[4]

• AVCA website