Melissa Myers enters her ninth season as Illinois State’s head volleyball coach in 2016.

Illinois State has continued its strong volleyball tradition under Myers’ leadership. The Redbirds won Missouri Valley Conference regular-season and tournament titles, and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, in 2014. Most recently, Myers led the Redbirds to a 22-10 record in 2015, giving Illinois State back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time in nearly 20 years.  

In her eight years at Illinois State, Myers has compiled a record of 151-101 (.599), while mentoring 25 All-MVC selections, including three MVC Libero of the Year selections, two MVC Freshmen of the Year, one MVC Setter of the Year, one MVC Player of the Year and one MVC Tournament Most Valuable Player. She has also coached six American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Region selections and three AVCA All-Americans.

Myers was named the MVC Coach of the Year and the AVCA North Region Coach of the Year in 2014.

Myers guided the Redbirds to a 22-10 record in 2015. The Redbirds posted an 11-1 record at home and won both the Harvard Invitational and Country Financial Redbird Classic, and won four matches over 2015 NCAA Tournament participants. The Redbirds garnered three All-MVC selections and three MVC All-Freshman selections, while Ali Line was named the MVC Freshmen of the Year, and Jaelyn Keene and Ashley Rosch earned AVCA All-Region honors.

Myers led the Redbirds to a 27-6 record in 2014, which included a school-record 23-match winning streak, en route to the program’s first Missouri Valley Conference regular-season and tournament titles since 1997. Illinois State made its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2007 and won its first NCAA Tournament match since 1996, and the team’s first-ever NCAA Tournament match away from Redbird Arena.

Myers’ teams have also set high marks in terms of academic success and community service. The volleyball team posted the highest grade-point average (GPA) among all ISU teams in three of the past seven semesters, including the Fall 2014 semester, when the team set a new in-season record with a 3.62 cumulative GPA, as every member of the team was named to the AFNI Honor Roll. The Redbird volleyball team is also active in community service, volunteering with the Special Olympics, as well as local food pantries and retirement homes.

Prior to her time at Illinois State, Myers compiled a 161-49 (.767) record over six seasons at California University (Pa.). Myers capped her tenure with three-consecutive 30-win seasons and was named both the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) and AVCA Region Coach of the Year in 2004, 2005 and 2007. Myers left California University (Pa.) as the winningest coach in program history.

In 2007, Myers led the Vulcans to a 35-4 record, including a 16-0 mark in the PSAC, and advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament’s Elite Eight. The team rattled off 33-consecutive wins during the banner season, three players earned All-America plaudits, and the undefeated league slate was just the second in school history. In 2006, the team posted a 30-7 record and advanced to PSAC and NCAA Regional championship matches. In 2005, the team went 33-3 and captured its first league title in 13 years, while advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in four seasons.

Prior to her time at California University (Pa.), Myers served as an assistant coach for four seasons. She spent three seasons (1998-2000) at Lock Haven University, before moving on to her alma mater, Juniata College, where she served as an assistant for the men’s volleyball program for one season (2001-02).

Myers was a four-year letter winner, and three-year starter as a right-side hitter, at Juniata, where she also excelled in track and field. Myers garnered numerous individual awards and honors during her playing career, including being named the Middle Atlantic Conference Volleyball Player of the Year and an AVCA First-Team All-American in 1997. She garnered All-America status as a member of Juniata’s track and field team in 1998.

Myers was inducted into the Juniata College Sports Hall of Fame in 2009 as the only two-sport All-American in school history.

Myers earned her bachelor’s degree from Juniata in human behavior and communications. She later earned her master’s degree in exercise science and health promotion, with an emphasis in performance enhancement, from California University (Pa.).