Wingate's Shelton Collier to be Inducted into AVCA Hall of Fame
STORY COURTESY OF WINGATE ATHLETICS
Louisville, Ky.----Wingate University head volleyball coach Shelton Collier has been announced as a member of the 2022 American Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame class, AVCA officials announced Thursday afternoon. The 10-time SAC Coach of the Year ranks seventh in the history of NCAA volleyball with 1,118 career wins. The 2013 AVCA National Coach of the Year currently ranks second among all active college volleyball coaches in wins. Collier will be officially inducted into the AVCA Hall of Fame this December at the AVCA Convention as part of the Division I Final Four in Omaha, Nebraska. (Quotes from former players, coaches and administrators can be found at the bottom of the page).
"Being selected to the AVCA Hall of Fame is the most prestigious honor of any volleyball coach's career, and this is certainly the case for me," Collier says. "Receiving this honor has allowed me to reflect back on my career as a coach with a wide range of thoughts. First, I have sincerely enjoyed the opportunity to help collegiate female athletes learn how to earn the rewarding feeling and satisfaction of success, as well as facilitate ways for them to bring out the best in themselves and their teammates both on and off the court. Secondly, I appreciate that coaching is a two-way street, and that I have benefited greatly from being around so many impressive young people who have exceptional personal qualities far beyond mine who have made my job fun, enjoyable and fulfilling for so many years."
"It occurs to me that I have lived two distinctly different careers," Collier continues. "With the first half as an unmarried Division I coach, and the other half as a married Division II coach, and it is incredibly rewarding to reflect back on all of the meaningful experiences I have had at Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech and Wingate, as well as with some incredible opportunities for many years with the USA National Team program. I am sincerely appreciative of being selected as an inductee, and am thankful for so many of the coaches, players, and administrators that have had a positive influence on me both personally and professionally."
Collier has been a college volleyball head coach for 40 years, half of those years coming at Wingate University, where he has compiled a 553-90 overall record, while going 310-37 in SAC play. In his 20 seasons at Wingate, Collier has led the Bulldogs to 15 regular season SAC titles and 12 SAC Tournament championships. Wingate has appeared in a league-record 16 consecutive NCAA Tournaments, while leading all SAC and region teams with five NCAA Southeast Region titles.
After an All-American playing career at Ohio State University, Collier's first head coaching job came at the University of Pittsburgh, where he piled up 296 victories in nine seasons and guided the Panthers to four Big East championships, earning Big East Coach of the Year honors. Collier then left for Pitt for San Diego, where he was an assistant coach for the USA Women's National Team. Collier was the head scout for the team at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Korea. From there, he left for Georgia Tech, where he registered 271 victories and four ACC titles in 11 seasons, adding ACC Coach of the Year accolades. In his 40 years as a coach, Collier has compiled an overall record of 1,118-298, good for a .790 winning percentage.
After 20 years with incredible success in Division I volleyball, Collier arrived at Wingate University in 2002 and turned Bulldog volleyball into a premiere Division II program. He led the Bulldogs to 20-win seasons in four of his first five years, leading the 'Dogs to a SAC Tournament title in 2003 and both the regular season and tournament championships in 2006.
It was the 2007 season that saw the Bulldogs begin their run of unparalleled SAC and regional dominance. Wingate won over 30 matches for eight straight seasons, winning the league regular season and tournament title every year in that run while posting an overall record of 261-18 while going 141-3 in conference play and 24-0 in the SAC Tournament. Wingate won a SAC-record 83 consecutive league matches, then after dropping two straight contests, responded by winning 55 straight league matches, the second-longest streak in SAC history. The 'Dogs won the first regional title in the history of Wingate or SAC volleyball in 2010, while adding region championships in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2018. The Bulldogs were the winningest team in Division II during that eight-year span, ranking in the top five nationally in winning percentage every year while leading the nation in winning percentage four times.
The 'Dogs have ranked in the top 10 in the nation in winning percentage every year since 2007, going 442-44 overall with a 261-17 SAC record. Wingate has won 15 of the last 16 regular season SAC titles, adding 12 SAC Tournament championships in that span to go along with the five regional titles and five trips to the NCAA National quarterfinals. The premiere program in the southeast region over the last 15 years, the Bulldogs have earned NCAA Southeast Regional hosting duties nine times since the 2008 season.
The SAC's all-time leader in career wins, league victories and conference championships, Collier won his first SAC Coach of the Year award in 2007. That started a streak of him winning the award nine consecutive seasons and 10 times in a 12-year stretch. Collier added AVCA Region Coach of the Year accolades seven times, with the first honor coming in 2008. He was named the National Coach of the Year in the 2013 season.
Prior to Wingate's incredible run, no SAC team had ever received an AVCA top-25 ranking. That changed in 2009, when Wingate earned its first-ever ranking. The Bulldogs became a mainstay in the top 25, earning a ranking in each of the next 10 seasons, while staying in the poll throughout the 2012 and 2013 seasons and cracking the top 10 for the first time in program history in 2013. Wingate climbed to number seven in 2014, the highest ranking in program history. The 'Dogs have been included in over 75 AVCA top 25 polls all-time, and are still the only team in SAC history to earn an AVCA ranking.
The incredible success the Bulldogs have enjoyed throughout Collier's tenure have also led Wingate to pull in major individual accolades. In the beginning of the dominant run, Stormi Gale became Wingate's first-ever NCAA Division II All-American, earning first team honors from Daktronics in 2009 and second team accolades in 2010, while adding AVCA third team accolades both years. Liz Willis earned second team All-American recognition in 2011, while Anna Hilton was a third team honoree in 2012. The historic 2013 season saw Hilton become the first-ever SAC volleyball player to earn AVCA first team All-American honors, while Lexi Potter became the league's first-ever second team AVCA All-American that same year. Abby Saehler and Alison Cooke picked up third team AVCA honors in 2014, while Katie Bludau was a second team All-American in 2017, with Anna Holmquist earning third team honors. Rachel Alles picked up second team AVCA All-American honors in the 2018 season, with PhoebeHavennaar adding third team accolades.
The 'Dogs have racked up SAC Player of the Year awards, earning eight trophies in a 10-year stretch from 2009 through 2018. Gale won back-to-back trophies in 2009 and 2010, while also being named the 2011 SAC Female Athlete of the Year. That was followed by Willis being named the 2011 SAC Player of the Year. Hilton won in 2012 and 2013, while Shelly Stumpff took home the honor in 2015. Bludau was named the 2017 Player of the Year, followed by Alles in 2018. Current Bulldog setter Shannon Kasprak earned the honor in 2021.
The Bulldogs have also gotten it done in the classroom, earning the AVCA Team Academic Award nearly every year of Collier's 20-year WU career. Wingate has picked up 11 Academic All-America honorees in that time, starting with Lindsay Hinson going back-to-back in 2002 and 2003, earning first team accolades in the 2003 season. Rebecca Brezovec was a two-time first team Academic All-America honoree in 2005 and 2006, while being named the Academic All-America of the Year in 2006. Melissa DeLuca earned first team honors in 2007, while Gale was recognized in 2010. Willis earned second team accolades in 2011, while Grace Krauser picked up first team honors that same year. Krauser repeated as a first team honoree in 2012, while Stumpff picked up third team honors in 2015.
Hinson earned the prestigious SAC Scholar-Athlete award in 2002 and 2003, while Brezovec went back-to-back in 2005 and 2006. Chelsea Cancelliere took home the hardware in 2009, while Willis earned the honor in 2011. Holmquist was the SAC Scholar-Athlete in 2018. In addition, Willis won the SAC President's Award in 2012, going to the top overall student-athlete in the entire conference. Krauser became the first Bulldog to earn the prestigious NCAA Elite 88 Award in 2010, while earning the honor again 2012.
Collier has also been very involved in coaching education over his career as well, as a popular and well-respected speaker at AVCA Conventions and USA National Team Symposiums over the years. During his tenure at Wingate, Collier spent 13 summers as a prominent coach for various USA National programs, including positions as head coach of both the USA Youth and Junior National Teams at World Championships, and as a head coach within the USA High Performance Training programs.
Collier's impact as a head coach has led to many of his players going into the coaching world. Havenaar is an assistant coach at UNC, while Stumpff is an assistant coach at South Dakota. Cooke is an assistant coach at Bowling Green, while Saehler is an assistant at Grand Canyon. Hannah Givens is the head coach at Lynchburg, while Treslyn Ortiz is an assistant coach at Lynchburg. Last season, Tyler Smith was an assistant coach at Anderson, while Kori Adams was an assistant at Liberty and is currently a head coach at Myers Park High School. In addition, Maggie Malone is currently the head coach at powerhouse Providence High School in Charlotte.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING:
Kelley Kish (Wingate Director of Athletics)
The AVCA Hall of Fame is a roll call of people who have earned recognition for their gifts to the game of volleyball during their career. There is no doubt that Shelton Collier deserves to be part of this special group of volleyball legends in the Hall of Fame. Starting my career as the Director of Volleyball Operations (at the University of Florida) and attending the Jostens Coaches Honors Luncheon, I know that Shelton's induction will recognize the inspiration and impact he provides across the sport due to his significant contributions at Wingate and the USA Youth National Team plus Georgia Tech and the University of Pittsburgh. We are proud that Shelton will be celebrated in December by the volleyball world and know how special his 20 seasons have been for Wingate University and the alumna of our volleyball program.
Anna Hilton (LaVelle) (All-American Right-Side hitter – 2014 graduate)
"A good coach can change a game, a great coach can change a life." Reflecting on my time with Coach Shelton Collier, nothing rings louder in my ears than the gratitude I have towards the magnitude of his influence across so many aspects of my life. From the moment I stepped onto the Wingate University campus, as a young, inexperienced yet hungry athlete, I felt the gravity of Coach Collier's tremendous skill, unmatched insight, and steadfast determination. Freshman year he told (a very unwilling) me, he was going to redshirt me and would always say, "Anna, trust me. If only you could see yourself in my crystal ball." Little did I realize just how powerful his vision and ability to execute that vision truly was; graduating with three All-American honors was only attainable because of his unwavering commitment to my growth. Something I am forever grateful. Coach Collier's induction into the AVCA Hall of Fame is wildly deserving for a man that has dedicated his life to building pathways to success and leading hundreds, thousands, of young athletes towards their dreams. I couldn't be more proud to know him and to have been coached by him. I to continue to benefit from his outstanding influence and leadership. Thank you so much coach and congratulations on receiving this incredible honor.
Liz Willis (Wingate All-American setter – 2012 graduate)
I am so fortunate to have had the opportunity to play for Coach. He knew each of us as people, our aspirations beyond volleyball, and had an amazing ability to identify which type of coaching each of us needed to be most successful. He incorporated individual skill and personalities seamlessly into a team. We were certainly successful on paper, but my best memories are from the games that the 'winning streak' was most at risk. The small tweaks that Coach made in those moments - both with team psychology and tactical game changes were undoubtedly impressive. These are the moments where we grew the most. The resiliency he built in our team as a result of these moments has transcended the court in so many of his former players. Whenever we see coach, he tells our individual recruiting stories in a way where he's implying that the dominoes just fell into the right place. At some point, you realize that dominoes don't just consistently fall into the right place unless they're strategically set. He knew what he was doing when he built this program, and its success is certainly a testament to his skill. He raised the bar - for the school, conference, the region, D2 volleyball as a whole. Volleyball is no longer a consistent part of my life, but a decade after my athletic career ended, I continue to rely on life skills I learned through Wingate Volleyball, a program who's name and success infers Shelton Collier. The heart and investment he put into Wingate Volleyball made for a collegiate experience that I truly cherish. To say this award is well deserved is an understatement.
Steve Poston (Wingate AD for over 20 years)
I congratulate Coach Collier on his well-deserved selection to the AVAC Coaches' Hall of Fame. Shelton's contribution to the sport of volleyball is unparalleled. He has certainly put Wingate women's volleyball on the map. His success has been the impetus for growing the game in the South Atlantic Conference where his teams have won numerous championships as well as his work with USA Volleyball. Shelton has spent a long and distinguished career teaching young women about the intricacies of the sport, constantly challenging them to do more than they ever thought they were capable. However, this is not where I think he makes his greatest impact. I believe his greatest contribution is his commitment to mold his players into outstanding young women who are now making a difference in the world. I am certain that the life lessons he taught them will serve them well throughout the rest of their lives. Wingate University is fortunate to have a coach who has dedicated himself to the success of the young women in his care.
Lauren Steinbrecher (Georgia Tech 2001-2004 - Head Coach at James Madison last 12 years)
I could not have been more thrilled to hear that Shelton Collier will be inducted into the AVCA Coaches Hall of Fame. There are very few coaches who have had such a lasting impact on both the sport of volleyball and the athletes they have coached. I was lucky enough to have met Shelton during the recruiting process at Georgia Tech and was coached by him before he left GT to be with his beautiful DiAnn. He dramatically transformed the GT program into a nationally relevant program in a short amount of time and certainly was a major factor in all of us wanting to play at GT. I always respected Shelton for knowing the game so well and being an exceptional recruiter. After graduation, I had the privilege of working for Shelton in the USA program and I certainly used every opportunity to pick his brain on training and game management strategies. He truly is an exceptional coach and one that I am thankful to know. Congratulations to the wonderful Shelton Collier on this well-deserved honor!
Bernadette McGlade (Former SWA at Georgia Tech; current Atlantic 10 Commissioner)
Shelton Collier is truly a Hall of Fame coach! From the moment he arrived on campus at Georgia Tech, I knew we hired the right person. The program immediately gained national recognition, and I dare say there are few programs that were transformed as dramatically as the GT volleyball program in the early 2000's. In a short few years, Shelton took the program from a young, struggling ACC team to national prominence, NCAA appearances and top 20 rankings! I admire Coach Collier and continue to be inspired and impressed by his success and commitment to student-athletes. Congratulations.
Kathy DeBoer (AVCA CEO)
Every coach inducted into the AVCA Hall of Fame has an impressive win-loss record, and Shelton certainly checks that box as he has won at every program where he has coached. But the separator for our selection committee is what a coach has contributed to the profession. Shelton is curious, thoughtful, and generous with his insights and time. The combination has made him a true difference-maker in our sport.
Kevin Hambly (Head Volleyball Coach at Stanford)
Congratulations to Shelton Collier for being inducted into the Hall of Fame. He is incredibly well-deserving. What he built at Georgia Tech and what he has done at Wingate, taking two programs at the bottom and turning them both into conference contenders and nationally relevant, is remarkable. Shelton is one of the most creative coaches that I have ever had the great fortune of knowing. He is a program builder as well as a great coach. Shelton is someone I have leaned on since the beginning of my career to help guide me. He is one of the few people who will tell you the truth. Shelton also is one of the most curious coaches I have been around. When I worked with Toshi Yoshida on the women's national team, we taught some unique techniques to the United States. Shelton sat next to me and followed me everywhere, asking me a million questions so he could understand what we were teaching. He was in his 40s at the time. He made me better in two ways through that experience. First, I started to become proficient at articulating Toshi's way. Second, it was an excellent lesson for me to be a continual learner and keep trying to improve. I am thankful for that time with Shelton, as it was enriching and the beginning of a 20-year friendship. Congratulations again to Shelton, who has had a tremendous impact on the sport of volleyball!