ODAC Volleyball News Archive

University of Lynchburg volleyball coach Elizabeth Ellinger announced Wednesday that she will step down from her post, effective immediately, to pursue full-time administration of her Old Dominion Volleyball Academy.

Five ODAC standouts earned recognition in the final set of awards announced by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) on Tuesday. Bridgewater outside Rachel Gaston along with Randolph-Macon middle Sydney Koch, Virginia Wesleyan middle Amber Matalus, and Washington and Lee middle Courtney Berry and outside Brynne Gould earned selection to the Division III Honorable Mention All-America squad.

The Virginia Wesleyan University volleyball team fell in a heartbreaker to No. 22 Juniata, 3-2 (17-25, 25-19, 23-25, 25-13, 15-9), Friday afternoon in the NCAA Championship Regional Round played at Christopher Newport University. With the result, the Marlins finish the year with a record of 28-8 which sets the program record for wins in a season.

Shenandoah University Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Bridget Lyons, Ph.D, announced Friday that Kent Clayberg has been hired as the university's new head volleyball coach.

Ferrum College running back Brian Mann, University of Lynchburg goalkeeper Delia LoSapio, and Randolph-Macon College midfielder Maddie Burns headline the ODAC's contingent of academic student-athlete honors from CoSIDA as the trio were tabbed Google Cloud Academic All-Americans from the fall seasons.

The Washington and Lee volleyball team pushed fourth-ranked Colorado College to the brink in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday, but the Tigers escaped with a 3-2 victory. In her final collegiate match, senior libero Elly Cosgrove totaled a career-best 33 digs to lead the team.

Brigewater College middle blocker Carleigh Studtmann added to her list of honors on Wednesday afternoon as he was named a Third Team Academic All-American by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Studtmann pairs this laurel with back-to-back ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete awards.

Randolph-Macon College outside hitter Miranda Hall was tabbed a Third Team All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) on Tuesday, leading a list of three athletes that earned All-America distinction.

Randolph-Macon came in ranked as the #4 seed in the Owings Mills Regional, but failed to overcome their opponent, the #5 seeded Swarthmore Garnet. The loss ends Randolph-Macon's 2017 campaign with a 23-7 overall record.

In the eighth installment of ODAC 40 features, we highlight the conference's top awards in a pair of conversations with the first winners of the Marjorie Berkley and Harry G. "Doc" Jopson Awards. Former Eastern Mennonite University (then known as Eastern Mennonite College) volleyball star Becky (Derstine) Esch garnered the first Berkley Award in 1984, while former Washington and Lee University football and track & field standout Chip Nunley earned the inaugural Jopson Award in 1981.

Randolph-Macon setter Erin Quinn became the second straight Yellow Jacket to earn All-America Third Team honors from the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) on Tuesday, leading a list of four ODAC standouts for the AVCA's top awards. R-MC teammate Mariah Clark, Lynchburg outside hitter Jennifer Garrett, and Washington and Lee middle Mackenzie Shand garnered Honorable Mention All-America laurels.

The Randolph-Macon volleyball fell to Mary Washington 3-0 in Fredericksburg on Saturday night in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Yellow Jackets finished the season with a 24-8 record, winning the regular season and ODAC Tournament Titles. UMW (30-3) advances to the round of 16 with the win.

Randolph-Macon College outside hitter Courtney Lowers added to her list of postseason honors, leading a list of three athletes that received recognition towards AVCA All-America distinction. Lowers was tabbed to the Third Team, while Virginia Wesleyan College outside Tiffany Barrett and Washington and Lee University middle Mackenzie Shand earned Honorable Mention laurels.

Randolph-Macon College volleyball saw its record-setting season come to a close on Thursday evening as the Yellow Jackets fell to Carthage College, 3-0 (25-23, 25-21, 28-26), in the NCAA Division III Volleyball Tournament quarterfinals. R-MC stands as the first ODAC squad to reach the final eight of the national tourney.

Seniors Courtney Lowers (Suffolk, Va. / Nansemond River) and Katie Rossberg (Crozet, Va. / Western Albemarle) tallied 17 and 16 kills, respectively, as the Randolph-Macon women's volleyball team defeated Stockton 3-0 Sunday afternoon in the Galloway Regional Final of the NCAA Tournament to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time in school history.

Eastern Mennonite University has announced the hiring of Carrie Bert as head women's volleyball coach. Bert has been an assistant the past five years at her alma mater and becomes the 10th head coach in the program's 46-year history. Bert is a 1997 grad of EMU.

The Old Dominion Athletic Conference is pleased to announce the 2014-15 ODAC Sportsmanship Teams in each of the fall sports sponsored by the conference. This marks the sixth year the league has recognized these fine student-athletes for their excellence in sportsmanship. Seventy-five athletes were honored this season.

Hollins University Acting Director of Athletics Bill Mannino is pleased to announce the hiring of Katherine Lawson to the position of head volleyball coach. Lawson is no stranger to the Hollins campus community as the newly appointed coach has worked in the Hollins admissions department since July of 2009.

Devyn Bayes has been selected to be the next volleyball head coach at Emory & Henry College, Director of Athletics Myra Sims announced Wednesday. Bayes returns to her native Southwest Virginia after spending the past two seasons as the volleyball graduate assistant coach at the University of Arkansas-Monticello.

Randolph has promoted Kara Matthews from assistant volleyball coach to the interim head position, effective July 1. A two-year assistant coach for the WildCat program, Matthews helped guide the 2013 squad to its best record since 1997 serving as the top assistant to Johnathan Willis.

The Old Dominion Athletic Conference is pleased to announce the 2013-14 ODAC/StellarOne Sportsmanship Teams in each of the fall and winter sports sponsored by the conference. This marks the fifth year the league has recognized these fine student-athletes for their excellence in sportsmanship.

The Old Dominion Athletic Conference is pleased to announce the 2012 ODAC/StellarOne Sportsmanship Teams in each of seven fall sports sponsored by the conference. This marks the fourth year the league has recognized these fine student-athletes for their excellence in sportsmanship.

ODAC Player of the Year and Randolph-Macon outside hitter, Mallory Carter, was joined by Virginia Wesleyan's All-ODAC First Team outside hitter, Kala Guy, in earning recognition as an AVCA Honorable Mention All-American. This is Carter's second straight year on the honorable mention list, while Guy makes her first appearance. The pair were joined by R-MC's Tori Puryear as All-Region honorees.

Randolph-Macon saw its fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA Division III Volleyball Tournament come to an end on Saturday evening with a 3-2 loss to No. 5 Christopher Newport. The Yellow Jackets won the first game and dropped the next two before tying the match 2-all with a win in the fourth set. CNU scored a 15-12 win in game five to clinch the match.

Hollins and athletic director David Zinn are excited to announce that Bill Shook has been named new head volleyball coach. Coach Shook will take over the program as it enters its second season of ODAC play after a six year hiatus. In addition to his coaching duties, Shook will also serve as an instructor in the physical education department.

Eastern Mennonite University has announced the hiring of Jeff Tyson as head women's volleyball coach. Tyson comes to EMU from Marion, IN, where he has been heavily involved in the region's volleyball scene, including four years as an assistant coach at Indiana Wesleyan University.

The AVCA recently announced its postseason awards, and three ODAC student-athletes were honored. Randolph-Macon's Mallory Carter (pictured) and teammate Marli Dabareiner were named to the AVCA All-South Region Team as well as honorable mention All-America. Washington and Lee's M.A. Boles was named honorable mention all-region.

Dan Clotfelter served as head volleyball coach at Walker School in Atlanta, Ga., building that high school program into a state powerhouse. During his eight-year tenure, the team competed in four Final Fours, three Elite Eights and one Sweet Sixteen. He was selected four times as the Area Coach of the Year and was selected as a State All-Star Game Coach.

Bridgewater College's Director of Athletics, Curt Kendall announced Monday that Erin Albert has been hired as the new head volleyball coach for the Eagles' program. Albert becomes just the third head coach in the program's history. She comes to BC following two years as an assistant at Chatham University.

Seven student-athletes from Old Dominion Athletic Conference member schools earned a 2010 ODAC/Farm Bureau Scholar-Athlete Award during the fall athletic schedule. Farm Bureau Insurance is the proud presenter of each award for the ODAC's 22 sponsored sports.

A pair of student-athletes were honored with the league's highest honors on Thursday afternoon at the annual ODAC Board of Directors meetings. Rebecca Bradford from VWC was awarded the Marjorie Berkley Award. Fellow senior and H-SC men’s tennis star, William Moss, garnered the Harry G. "Doc" Jopson Award.

Hollins University announced earlier this winter that it would be adding volleyball to its stable of seven collegiate sports, beginning with a provisional schedule in 2010-11. Jason Kozak has made the move from UVA to be the new head coach of the program's restart.

Eight student-athletes from Old Dominion Athletic Conference member schools to earn a 2009 ODAC/Farm Bureau Scholar-Athlete Award during the fall athletic schedule. Farm Bureau Insurance is the proud presenter of each award for the ODAC's 22 sponsored sports.

ODAC teams put eight players on the VaSID All-State Volleyball Teams, including five of the six places on the second team. Additionally, Emory & Henry freshman Rachel Fertitta (above) was tabbed as the state's top rookie.

The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced its 2008 Division III All-America teams on Tuesday and W&L senior right side Jessica Ulrich was named to the Honorable Mention team.

The Washington and Lee volleyball team fell to Mt. St. Joseph, 25-22, 25-18, 25-23, in the first round of the 2008 NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional on Thursday afternoon at Wittenberg College.

Bridgewater College athletics director announced Friday that Greg Spector has been named the new women’s volleyball head coach

The most victorious coach in Bridgewater College history has announced she will step down from coaching and return to full-time teaching after 32 years at the helm of the College's volleyball program.

Bridgewater College senior Marsha Hermes and Eagles’ head coach Mary Frances Heishman earned the ODAC’s Player of the Year and Coach of the Year awards in the annual All-ODAC volleyball voting. Virginia Wesleyan College’s Rebecca Leedom won the sport’s Rookie of the Year award, and Randolph-Macon College’s Michelle Kutcher was tabbed as the ODAC/Farm Bureau Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Randolph College earned the Team Sportsmanship Award.

The first semi-final match of the 2006 NCAA Division III National Volleyball Championship pitted a pair of volleyball heavyweights against each other on Friday afternoon in Salem. With a combined 40 total NCAA tournament appearances between the two foes, Washington University-St. Louis and the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater set the stage for a stellar contest. Washington U. proved tops on this day, defeating the defending champion Warhawks 3-0 (30-21, 30-18, 30-27) and putting themselves into the national final match.

Washington & Lee University, seeded fifth going into the NCAA Division III regional quarterfinals, picked up its second upset in as many days in Hoboken, N.J., knocking off top-seeded New York University 3-2 on Friday afternoon. The Generals move on to face the winner of host Stevens Institute of Technology (32-5) and SUNY Cortland (29-12) in the Saturday’s New York Region final.

Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) runner-up Randolph-Macon College put three players on the postseason all-star teams, including a pair of All-ODAC First Team BC's Erika Dirnagl selections. Outside hitter Maggie McDearmon headlines the Yellow Jacket picks, sitting atop the conference lists as the 2006 ODAC Player of the Year.