Men’s volleyball coach Jeremy Price named AVCA Division III Coach of the Year

HUNTINGDON, Pa. – Juniata College head men's volleyball coach Jeremy Price was named the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division III Men's National Coach of the Year for 2009, according to a release issued Tuesday by the AVCA.

Price, who is in his third season at the helm of the storied Juniata men's volleyball program, guided the Eagles to an 18-8 record in 2009, 8-4 in the EIVA's Tait Division. He coached the Eagles to their sixth Molten Division III Championship, a year after Juniata's string of four straight Molten titles was snapped. Juniata won all six games it played in the 2009 Molten tournament, including a 3-0 win over Stevens Institute of Technology in the title match that gave Price his second Molten championship in three years in Huntingdon.

"When you receive an award where the nomination process and voting is done by your peers, it makes the honor that much more significant," said Price. "I'd like to thank the AVCA and its membership for selecting me for this honor." 

"I also want to acknowledge Glenn DeHaven, who in his first year did a great job as my assistant. Our team's success wouldn't have been possible without his efforts," said Price. 

Juniata qualified for the Molten Championship by winning the EIVA Division III regular season title; the Eagles lost only match to a Division III opponent all season, falling to rival Springfield College in five games, before beating the Pride in a rematch later in the season. 

The Eagles earned the number two seed for the EIVA Tournament, Juniata's highest EIVA Tournament seed in program history, and earned a bye through to the semifinals. The Eagles defeated Saint Francis (Pa.), 3-1, in the semifinals, and advanced to the championship match where they lost to Penn State, 3-0. Juniata became the first Division III men's volleyball program to play for an automatic berth in the NCAA National College Men's Volleyball Championship.

"I think that anytime you're the coach of the year, it means you probably have some pretty talented players, and it would be a mistake to not acknowledge the hard work and talent of the team I have been fortunate enough to coach this year at Juniata," said Price. 

Price is now 45-32 in his three years at Juniata, with a 19-7 record against Division III opponents. He is the second Juniata head coach to earn the award; former Eagle coach Ken Shibuya won the honor in 2004.

A native of Bowie, Md., Price is a 1998 graduate of the University of Maryland, where he earned a bachelor's degree in history.

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