NORMAL, Ill. – After nine seasons as head coach of the Illinois State volleyball team, head coach Melissa Myers has resigned effective immediately, Illinois State Director of Athletics Larry Lyons announced Monday.
"Melissa is a wonderful, genuine person who is thought of very highly in our department," Lyons said. "While she is a tremendous role model and mentor for the young women in our volleyball program, she has also grown into a really strong head coach who is very well respected in the MVC. We will miss her leadership and friendship, and wish her the very best."
Myers posted an overall record of 168-116 in her nine seasons at the helm and helped guide her team to Missouri Valley Conference regular-season and tournament titles in 2014.
"It has been an honor and privilege to serve and work with the student-athletes, staff and administration at Illinois State. I've had incredible support as a head coach and couldn't be more grateful for my time and experiences here," Myers said. "It has certainly been a difficult decision for me, and while I have enjoyed coaching for nearly 20 years, I feel it's important to get closer and prioritize my family and pursue professional opportunities outside of the coaching profession. I will truly miss the players and everyone involved in the program."
Myers leaves the program with the third most head coaching wins, trailing only Julie Morgan (289) and Linda Herman (267).
The 2014 season was Myers' most successful season leading the program, as the Redbirds compiled a school-record 23-match winning streak and went undefeated in league play. After winning the conference tournament, the Redbirds rallied from down two sets to earn a 3-2 win over Marquette in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, marking Illinois State's first-ever tournament win away from Redbird Arena.
Myers was named both MVC and American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) North Region coach of the year after the season.
In her time at Illinois State, Myers mentored 27 All-MVC selections, including four MVC Libero of the Year selections, two MVC Freshman of the Year picks, one MVC Setter of the Year, one MVC Player of the Year and one MVC Tournament Most Valuable Player. She has also coached seven AVCA All-Region selections and three AVCA All-Americans.
A national search for Illinois State's next head volleyball coach will begin immediately.
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