March 25, 2008

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DAYTON, Ohio - The University of Dayton welcomed Kelly Sheffield as the seventh head coach in Flyer volleyball history on Tuesday in a press conference held at the University of Dayton Arena. Sheffield, a native of Muncie, Ind., comes to UD after seven seasons as the head coach at Albany.

"First and foremost, I'm thankful to Ted Kissell, Tim Wabler, Dave Harper, Mike Kelly, and the rest of the administration for this wonderful opportunity," Sheffield said. "I have been very impressed with the first-class way things have been done. The administration and university have made a tremendous commitment to the program here and it was obvious during my visits how much pride everyone has for the volleyball program and for the University of Dayton."

Sheffield, a two-time America East Conference Coach of the Year, led the Great Danes to three trips to the NCAA Tournament including a berth in the second round this past season. Albany won back-to-back Conference Tournament Championships under Sheffield and three titles in the past four years. Albany volleyball won 20 matches or more in four of the past five seasons.

Sheffield was also a great developer of talent at Albany as he mentored the first player in NCAA history to win a conference Player of the Year and Setter of the Year award in three consecutive seasons. That talent helped his 2006 squad to become the first team in school history in any sport to host an NCAA Tournament contest when Minnesota, Saint John's and Siena visited Albany for the First and Second Rounds.

Sheffield's Great Danes were one of just two teams at the Division I level to continuously improve their RPI rating from 2000 to 2005, moving to number 40 in 2005 after occupying the 295-spot in 2000. Albany's 2005 ranking represents the best in America East Conference volleyball history. The team also posted the best-ever winning percentage (.875) in the league.

"The University at Albany holds a special place in my heart," Sheffield said. "I am proud of what we were able to accomplish there and so fortunate to be able to coach and work with those young women. I'm leaving an incredible place and a great team. It was going to take an extraordinary situation for me to leave and I truly believe that I found that in Dayton. I am honored and excited to be a part of the UD Family."

Sheffield was previously the top assistant at Clemson University, where he handled the team's ball control, defense and middle hitters. He also served as scouting and recruiting coordinator. From 1998-2000, Sheffield was a first assistant coach at the University of Virginia. He was responsible for scouting and game plans, assisted with recruiting and practice, and directed team travel.

During his two-year stay at Virginia, the program earned its first two appearances in the NCAA Tournament. In 1998, the Cavaliers finished with a 26-8 record, the second-highest victory total in the program's history. Virginia ended the season ranked 23rd in the national RPI rankings. In his final year, Virginia's recruiting class was ranked sixth nationally by Volleyball Magazine.

Prior to his arrival at Virginia, Sheffield served as an assistant at the University of Houston in 1997. The Cougars captured their seventh consecutive NCAA berth and won the Conference USA Tournament. In addition, he has extensive experience coaching junior volleyball teams. Sheffield was the head coach of the Houston Juniors from 1997-98 and Munciana (Ind.) Volleyball Club from 1989-97.

Sheffield began his coaching career at Muncie Burris High School, where he was a varsity assistant for a squad that won two state championships and a national championship. He also was an assistant at New Castle High School, as the team achieved a top-10 state ranking in the 1990s.

Sheffield was one of nine members of the NCAA Women's Volleyball Rules Committee from 2004-2007, and was chair of the committee in 2006-2007. He also represented the America East Conference on the Division I Head Coaches' Committee. That group advises the AVCA on matters relating to Division I NCAA volleyball, such as legislation, recruiting, and ethics and conduct. Sheffield is also a national and regional poll voter for the AVCA.

Sheffield earned his bachelor's degree in general studies from Ball State University. He has also worked as an evaluator and court coach for USA Volleyball Junior National Team Tryouts. Sheffield and his wife, Cathy, will relocate to the Dayton area shortly.

"This is a program that has had a lot of success and has a very rich tradition. I am very excited to be with a program, administration, and volleyball community that are all hungry for more and are willing to do what it takes to reach the next level."

Dayton enjoyed its best season in program history in 2007 with a 33-2 overall record culminating with a trip to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Flyers were ranked in the CSTV/AVCA Top 25 Coaches Poll for the first time ever and reached as high as 12th in the Poll at one point. UD won its fourth straight Atlantic 10 Regular Season Championship and took home the Atlantic 10 Tournament Title for the fourth time in five years. The Flyers also hosted NCAA First and Second Round matches for the first time ever in front of sold-out crowds at Frericks Center.