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North Alabama Beach Volleyball
Founded2019
University University of North Alabama
Head coachKaleb VanDePerre (2nd season)
Conference ASUN
Location Florence, Alabama
Home arenaUNA Beach Volleyball Courts
Nickname Lions

The North Alabama Lions beach volleyball team represents the University of North Alabama in the Atlantic Sun Conference. They are currently led by head coach Kaleb VanDePerre and play their home games at the UNA Beach Volleyball Courts. [1]

History

Beach volleyball was added as a sport at UNA in 2019. It was added along with women's golf to keep the amount of sports sponsored at 14 as both women's indoor and outdoor track programs were discontinued. [2]

Bob White served as the first head coach of the program in 2019 as an addition to his duties as the indoor volleyball coach. [3] In the inaugural season, the Lions won their first match in a faceoff against the Huntington Hawks. [4] The Lions would also win their first ever home match against in-state rival Jacksonville State. [5]

In 2021, assistant coach Thais Yancey took over as head coach and led UNA to its first ever winning season. [6]

Before the 2023 season, Kaleb VanDePerre was brought on as the new head coach as Yancey returned to her previous position as assistant coach. VanDePerre, who was previously the head coach at Liberty University, was brought on in an effort to separate indoor and beach volleyball. [7]

In 2023, the Lions earned their first 20-win season. They made it to the ASUN quarterfinals where they lost to North Florida. [8] The year also saw the team's first All-ASUN First Team selection with the pair of Paula Klemperer and Taylor Seney. [9]

In 2024, the team won their first ever matches against Power 5 programs. The Lions sweep the Oregon Ducks 5–0 in the Green Wave Invitational in New Orleans. [10] They would also go on to sweep the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the Tiger Beach Classic in Baton Rouge. [11]

2024 also saw the Lions set a new record for season wins as they finished 22–16. In the ASUN tournament, they made it to the semifinals before losing to FGCU. [12] [13]

The season also saw multiple honors awarded to the Lions. Coach VanDePerre won the ASUN Coach of the Year, which is the first time a coach at UNA has won the honor in the Division I era. Paula Klemperer and Taylor Seney was selected to the ASUN First Team for the second straight year. They were also joined by the pair of Katy Floyd and Selma Robinson. [14] [15]

Season-by-season results

Year Head Coach Overall
record 		Conference
record 		Conference
standing 		Postseason
Bob White ( ASUN) (2019–2020)
2019 Bob White 10–12 4-4 6th
2020 Bob White 5–7 4th
Thais Yancey ( ASUN) (2021–2022)
2021 Thais Yancey 12–10 0–2 4th
2022 Thais Yancey 16–14 5-5 6th
Kaleb VanDePerre ( ASUN) (2023–present)
2023 Kaleb VanDePerre 20–16 7–3 4th
2024 Kaleb VanDePerre 22–16 5–3 4th
Total 85–75 21-17

Source: [16] [17]

All-time records

Individual career wins

Records as of April 16, 2024 [18]

Player Wins Years Played
Paula Klemperer 71 2019–2024
Mackenzie Martin 65 2019–2024
Taylor Seney 62 2020–2024
Katy Floyd 51 2022–2024
Jelena Girod 45 2021–2024

Pair career wins

Records as of April 16, 2024 [19]

Pair Wins
Paula Klemperer/Taylor Seney 36
Mackenzie Martin/Catie Ladner 27
Natalie Kordt/Jelena Girod 25
Mackenzie Martin/Katy Floyd 22
Marti McLaurin/Selma Robinson 20

References

  1. ^ "2024 Beach Volleyball Record Book" (PDF). UNA Athletics. March 14, 2024. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  2. ^ "UNA TO ADD WOMEN'S GOLF, BEACH VOLLEYBALL". UNA Athletics. December 12, 2017. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  3. ^ "Bob White". UNA Athletics. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  4. ^ "BEACH VOLLEYBALL SPLITS MATCHES AT UAB BEACH BASH". UNA Athletics. February 23, 2019. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  5. ^ "BEACH VOLLEYBALL SWEEPS JSU IN FIRST HOME MATCHES". UNA Athletics. March 30, 2019. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  6. ^ "Thais Yancey". UNA Athletics. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  7. ^ Tanner, Emma (2 February 2023). "Beach Volleyball Team Welcomes New Head Coach". The Flor-Ala. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  8. ^ "BEACH LIONS STOPPED SHORT OF ASUN SEMIFINALS". UNA Athletics. April 22, 2023. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  9. ^ "KLEMPERER AND SENEY EARN FIRST-TEAM ALL-ASUN". UNA Athletics. April 20, 2023. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  10. ^ "Beach Volleyball earns first Power 5 win over Oregon". UNA Athletics. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  11. ^ "Beach Volleyball highlights Tiger Beach Classic with sweep of Nebraska". UNA Athletics. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  12. ^ "Beach Volleyball suffers setback to FGCU in ASUN Semifinal". UNA Athletics. April 26, 2024. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  13. ^ Glovach, David (April 26, 2024). "UNA beach volleyball falls in 2nd match of losers bracket in ASUN tournament". TimesDaily. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
  14. ^ "VanDePerre named ASUN Coach of the Year, four Lions land first team honors". UNA Athletics. April 23, 2024. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  15. ^ Glovach, David (April 23, 2024). "UNA's VanDePerre named ASUN's coach of year". TimesDaily. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
  16. ^ "ASUN Beach Volleyball Record Book" (PDF). Atlantic Sun Conference. September 1, 2023. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  17. ^ "2024 Beach Volleyball Schedule". UNA Athletics. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  18. ^ "2024 Beach Volleyball Record Book" (PDF). UNA Athletics. March 14, 2024. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  19. ^ "2024 Beach Volleyball Record Book" (PDF). UNA Athletics. March 14, 2024. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
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