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A coach who has helped oversee recruiting efforts for both college men’s and women’s volleyball teams will take over a ConfCarolinas program.
Lees-McRae announced earlier this week that it hired Pono Yin to be its new men’s volleyball head coach.
“In finding the right fit for us, I kept coming back to Pono,” Lees-McRae athletics director Craig McPhail said in a statement. “He emulates what I want our coaches to be: relational, committed, and full of passion. We are all excited to welcome him to Bobcat Nation and see him in action as we build our men’s volleyball program to a level of excellence.”
Yin spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach for the Drake women’s volleyball team and helped guide the Bulldogs to a winning record in the 2020-21 season. Among his responsibilities on the Drake coaching staff included facilitating the offense and assisting the recruiting coordinator with player evaluations.
This will be the second time Yin has been a coach for a college men’s volleyball team.
Yin served as an assistant coach with the Graceland women’s and men’s volleyball teams from 2017-19 and was responsible for overseeing the recruiting for both programs. He also was a player for Graceland and graduated from the school in 2009.
“I am beyond excited to be a part of the Lees-McRae family and the Bobcat community,” Yin said in a statement. “I look forward to working with the guys and to create exceptional student-athletes both on and off the court.”
Lees-McRae finished the 2021 season in last place in the ConfCarolinas but pulled off a regular season upset against the eventual conference champions Belmont Abbey.
The Bobcats are slated to return multiple starters for the 2022 season, including libero Steve Nalls. The libero ended last season with double-digit digs in six matches and in the nation’s top 20 with a 2.05 digs per game average.
Yin replaces former head coach Caitlin Bullock, who departed the school this summer to become an assistant coach with the Appalachian State women’s volleyball team.