Berea to join HCAC

Berea College is joining the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference for the 2024-25 academic year. Berea will be the 11th HCAC member after finishing its stay in the Collegiate Conference of the South, which will go from nine to eight volleyball institutions.

The HCAC competes in Region VIII — far and away the largest in terms of volleyball sponsorship with 55 programs last season.

Berea, a tuition-free college, entered its NCAA Division III exploratory year in February 2012 and joined the USA South Athletic Conference for the 2017-18 academic year before heading to the newly formed CCS — a USA South offshoot — in 2022.

-Ricky Nelson

Sazama takes over at Wisconsin-La Crosse

Deb Sazama was announced as the new head coach at Wisconsin-La Crosse. Sazama was an assistant with UW-La Crosse last season.

-Ricky Nelson

Broekemier to guide Monmouth program

Derrick Broekemier was announced as the new head coach at Monmouth. Broekemier was most recently an assistant at North Central (Ill.).

Broekemier takes over for Emily Butler, who “resigned in April to take a men’s volleyball coaching job,” according to the release.

-Ricky Nelson

CUC hires Palmer

Andrew Palmer is the new head coach at Concordia Chicago. Palmer was most recently the men’s head coach at Georgetown College (Ky.).

-Ricky Nelson

2 more Region VIII/IX programs seeking coaches

Monmouth and Wisconsin-La Crosse have posted head coach openings during the past 10 days.

MC and UWL join Concordia Chicago and Maranatha Baptist in the expected forthcoming Region VIII/IX head coach announcements. At least one other school could also join the list this offseason.

Nine Region VIII/IX programs have already named new head coaches since the final ball dropped in 2022, so there will be, at minimum, 13 VIII/IX programs under new leadership in 2023.

For context nearly 32% (30 of 94) of all Region VIII/IX teams will have first- or second-year coaches in the 2023 campaign after 17 were new to area sidelines a year ago. My hunch is we’re not done at 13 this offseason.

-Ricky Nelson

Grose to helm Lawrence

Meg Grose was named the new head coach at Lawrence. Grose was most recently an assistant at New Mexico Highlands.

-Ricky Nelson

Neargarder named head coach at Northland

Hope Neargarder takes over as head coach at Northland. Neargarder was most recently an assistant coach at Illinois College.

-Ricky Nelson

Blattner elevated to head coach at Crown

Celia Blattner is the new head coach at Crown. Blattner was an assistant at Crown the past two seasons.

-Ricky Nelson

Meierotto to lead St. Scholastica

Chelsea Meierotto has been tabbed the new head coach at St. Scholastica. Meierotto was the head coach at Northland the past four seasons.

Add Northland to the offseason Region VIII/IX head coach changes that should include forthcoming announcements from Concordia Chicago, Crown, Lawrence and Maranatha Baptist.

-Ricky Nelson

Buettner hired at Alverno

Kevin Buettner is the new head coach at Alverno. Buettner was the interim head coach at the Inferno’s nearby fellow NACC member Concordia Wisconsin last season.

-Ricky Nelson