Edward Waters University Women's Volleyball

Dr. Reeves comes to Edward Waters after spending five seasons as the head women's volleyball coach at NCAA Division I, Chicago State University. During the 2019 season, Dr. Reeves' team featured the Western Athletic Conference's (WAC) Freshman of the Year and Libero of the Year. The Cougars also took NCAA Division I Power Oklahoma to five sets and California to four sets. In 2018, the Cougars had their highest WAC conference win total in the school's Division I history and had the highest team Ratings Performance Index (RPI) in program history. Dr. Reeves' teams at CSU also received several American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Academic Team Honors as well as several WAC All-Academic selections. In addition to his volleyball work at CSU, Dr. Reeves served as the Associate Athletic Director for Business and Internal operations, and Chief Financial Officer for the Athletic Department, where he oversaw a $9.2 million athletic department budget. Prior to his time at Chicago State, Dr. Reeves was the head women's volleyball coach at Concordia College in Selma, AL. He led the Lady Hornets to a 43-13 overall mark during his two seasons at CCAL, including a 24-1 mark at home and led Concordia two appearances at the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) National Tournament. In his final season in 2015, Dr. Reeves led CCAL to a 25-8 record, were ranked No. 1 in the USCAA power rankings and advanced to the Elite Eight of the USCAA National Tournament. In addition, he was also a finalist for USCAA National Coach of the Year honors. Dr. Reeves was also as an assistant coach for the women's basketball program at Concordia, where he helped lead CCAL to a 46-12 record in two seasons, including two 20+ win campaigns. The Lady Hornets on the basketball floor in 2014 won the USCAA Women's Basketball National Championship and in 2015, CCAL advanced to the semifinals of the USCAA Division I Tournament with a 24-4 season record. Dr. Reeves also served as the men's & women's volleyball head coach at Rust College in Holly Springs, MS from 2008-2013. He led the Lady Bearcats to a 94-56 record, while the men's team recorded a 36-20 record under his tutelage. In 2011, he led the women's volleyball team to a regional appearance at the NCAA Division III National Tournament, producing a third-team All-American and two All-Region performers. On the men's side, he helped start the first southern Historically Black College and University (HBCU) men's volleyball program. In 2013, he led the Bearcats to an 18-6 record and a #11 national ranking. Dr. Reeves also served as the head coach of the men's & women's track and field programs at Rust, where he oversaw individual national champions in the men's high jump and men's 100m & 200m in 2011. In 2012, the Rust women's 4x100m relay team and an individual women's 100m performer made appearances at the NCAA DIII National Championships. Dr. Reeves has also gained experience coaching several clubs in Illinois, Alabama, Tennessee and Mississippi in addition to serving as an instructor for six years at the Nike Camp hosted by the University of Mississippi. Reeves is also certified CAP I & II Certified coach and a USA Volleyball IMPACT Level I Certified Instructor/Coach. Dr. Reeves graduated from Lane College in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with a minor in Mathematics, where he also competed on the school's men's tennis and traveling club volleyball teams. He also obtained a Masters of Arts in Education with a concentration in Sports Administration from Tennessee State University and has most recently completed all his requirements for his doctorate in Sports Management at Northcentral University. The decision to move forward with the addition of men's volleyball as the 14th varsity sport to the athletics ledger at EWC was made in October of 2020, thanks to the guidance and financial support of First Point Volleyball Foundation and USA Volleyball. EWC received a $100,000 gift from First Point Volleyball Foundation and USA Volleyball to help solidify the startup costs of the men's program, which will make it the first HBCU men's volleyball program in the State of Florida. Dr. Reeves and the Tigers will open their inaugural campaign in the Spring of 2022.

Lauren Ford is in her first season as the head women's volleyball coach of the EWU women's volleyball program and in her second season leading the EWU men's program. Ford came to Edward Waters in January of 2023 after serving as the head men's volleyball coach at Goshen College, an NAIA program in Goshen, Indiana, where she became the first woman to lead the men's volleyball program at Goshen and the second woman to lead a men's program at the institution. During her first season in leading the EWU men's program, Ford guided the Tigers to an unblemished 10-0 regular season mark, their second consecutive SIAC Regular Season Championship, and the program's first SIAC Men's Volleyball Tournament Championship. A former professional player for five-plus years in Finland, Germany, the Philippines, Switzerland and Spain, Ford played Division I volleyball at the University of South Carolina, where she was a three-year letterwinner from 2003 to 2006. She graduated with a degree in Experimental Psychology.   During her lone season as head coach, Ford led the Maple Leafs to a 20-9 overall record and an even 7-7 mark in Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference play. Ford also served as an assistant coach for the Goshen women's team from 2019-2021.   Prior to her time at Goshen, she was the head volleyball coach in the Pocono Mountain school district in northeastern Pennsylvania in 2018. Before that, she served as head volleyball coach at Warren Central High School in Indianapolis in 2015 and assisted the Warriors from 2012 to 2014.   She has also been a travel coach for All-American Volleyball Camps since 2012 and was a Team Indiana Volleyball Club head coach from 2014-16.   At South Carolina, Ford graduated with the most kills per set and second-most blocks of any player in the rally scoring era. Entering the 2019 season, she ranked 10th and sixth, respectively, in those categories. She still holds the rally-era record for blocks per set at 1.12.   Ford's 2004 season went down in Gamecock history with 118 blocks, a rally-era record, and a mark of 1.27 blocks that still stands as a record. Her 75 blocks in Southeastern Conference play were the second-most in program history to that point, and she still holds the program record with 13 blocks in a match. She was named SEC Offensive Player of the Week on October 12, 2004.   Ford hails from Indianapolis, Indiana,  where she prepped at Lawrence North High School before going on to play her freshman season at the University of Wisconsin. She was a member of the 2001 U.S. Youth National Training Team and also lettered in basketball and track at Lawrence North. 

Derrick Bennett currently coaches both Womens and Mens Volleyball at Edward Waters University. Bennett had racked up almost two decades of playing and coaching experience prior to joining EWU's staff, including stops at UT Chattanooga, Florida State, Saint Leo and Southeastern Oklahoma State. While on staff at these programs, Bennett brought a level of success that included deep tournament runs and national recognition.  Bennett previously coached at University of Tennessee in Chattanooga. He joined their volleyball staff in August 2023. Derricks season with the Mocs saw UTC earn its second consecutive winning season after posting a 19-14 record overall in 2023. It was in that same season that the Mocs opened the year with an 8-1 record, marking the best start to a season in program history. Under Bennetts guidance, two Mocs have received All-Conference honors from the SoCon while one additional Moc earned a SoCon All-Tournament Team nod. Prior to his hiring at UTC, Bennett made a short stop in Kingsville, Texas where he was serving as an Elite Traveling Volleyball Training Coach for Gold Medal Squared and coaching at multiple collegiate Summer Volleyball Camps. (UT at Austin, Ole Miss, and FSU) Before Texas, Bennetts home was in Tallahassee Florida. Bennett also coached multiple USAV travel teams at Tallahassee Volleyball Academy. He started coaching at TVA in December of 2021 following the completion of FSUs Volleyball season where Bennett held the role of technical coordinator with the prestigious Florida State Universitys indoor volleyball program. It was there that Bennett helped with opponent scouting and analyzing individual and team performance data. That season, the Seminoles finished with a record of 20-10 on the year, reaching the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament.  Prior to moving to Tallahassee, Bennett served on Saint Leos volleyball coaching staff at the beginning of the 2019 indoor season and continued coaching for the Lions through the 2021 Beach season. During his first season as assistant coach, Saint Leos indoor team reached new heights by capturing its first NCAA DII South Region Championship and NCAA DII Elite Eight appearance. Saint Leos Beach Volleyball team also placed 5 th at the 2021 AVCA National Championship Bennett went to Saint Leo from Impact Volleyball Academy in Winter Haven, Fla., where he served as Club Director, Plyometric Instructor and Training Coach as well as Head Coach for many different age groups. He first began at the club in 2009 and worked there for five years before returning in 2017. In between his two stops at Impact Volleyball Academy, Bennetts first collegiate coaching stop was at Southeastern Oklahoma State from 2014 to 2015, where he held the role of volunteer assistant coach. While there, the Savage Storm finished third in the Great American Conference with a record of 10-4. Bennett also helped a total of four players get recognized with All-GAC honors. Bennett is a 2008 graduate of Warner University, where he received his Bachelor of Arts in Exercise Science along with a minor in coaching. Bennett also played on Warners mens volleyball team during his time at the university, serving as a defensive specialist and libero for the Royals.