McMurry University Women's Volleyball

Petree enters her 21st season leading the McMurry volleyball program in 2016. Her tenure at McMurry has come in three different terms. She began her career with two seasons as head coach from 1983-84 then returned for 10 seasons from 1996-2005. She regained the reins in April of 2008. Over her collegiate coaching career, she's posted a 357-237 record. The 2015 campaign saw the War Hawks go 19-11 overall. Catherine Heath was a first team NCCAA All-American, the secons all-America honor of her career. The team won 10 matches in consecutive sets. In 2014, McM returned to NCAA III and - playing an independent schedule - went 21-13. The War Hawks made a third-consecutive appearance in the NCCAA national tournament. Heath was a second team NCCAA All-American. 2013 saw the McM team go 19-18, winning its second-consecutive NCCAA Central Region title and advance to the national championship tournament. Senior Peyton Evans was named as a second team NCCAA All-American for the second year in a row. Petree earned career coaching victory #300 on September 13 versus Western State Colorado University. Petree was also awarded one of the highest annual honors bestowed by the NCCAA, when she was the recipient of its "Game Plan 4 Life Character Award." In 2012, the team produced another 25-win season (25-10) and it proved to be a banner year - literally and figuratively! Because the school was transitioning into NCAA II in 2012, it was not eligible to compete in the Heartland tournament (McM would have placed fourth in the regular season standings) and, instead, participated in the NCCAA championships. Petree's troops breezed through the NCCAA regional tournament by going 4-0 and dropped just two sets. In the national tournament, the War Hawks won their first two matches, before suffering a loss in their third. With its back against the wall in the double-elimination event, McMurry reeled off three straight wins to claim the NCCAA national championship! Petree was honored as the "National Coach of the Year" by both the NCCAA and the AVCA. She was also the NCCAA Central Region Coach of the Year. In addition to her accolades, junior transfer Peyton Evans and senior M.J. Vickers were both NCCAA All-Americans and All-Heartland Conference selections. Vickers also won the NCCAA's Susan R. Hellings Award, which combined athletics, academics, Christian character and leadership. While the War Hawks were in the American Southwest Conference (pre-2012), Petree coached 31 all-conference players and 44 academic all-conference selections. In addition, in 2008, she saw her first player ever earn all-America honors when Terah Brown was an honorable mention AVCA all-American. Vickers was honored with the same award after the 2011 season. Under Petree's direction in the ASC, McMurry won the ASC title in 1997 where her squad was a perfect 12-0 in conference play. After that, McMurry won also won ASC West Division titles in 1998, 2002 and 2011. In 2011, the team's final season as an NCAA Division III program, Petree's charges compiled a record of 28-5 record and again won the ASC West. The War Hawks lost to perennial rival Hardin-Simmons in the ASC tournament finale, after reaching the ASC tourney semifinals for a fifth-consecutive season. Petree and assistant Danielle Robarts were tabbed as the ASC "Coaching Staff of the Year." This was the fourth lead award for Petree, as she was also named "Coach of the Year" in 1997, 1999 and 2001. In 2010, McM was 17-10 and again reached the ASC semi-final round. Jasmine Qualls was the ASC West "Freshman of the Year," while Brown and Vickers repeated as first team all-ASC. In 2009, she guided the club to an ASC semi-finals appearance. She coached first-team selections Brown and Vickers, while recruiting the ASC Newcomer of the Year in transfer Bailey Marcum. In 2008, Petree reached a milestone win by picking up No. 200 in Round Rock against Concordia-Texas Sept. 21. The team went on to finish 19-8 and before East Texas Baptist ousted them in the first round of the ASC Postseason Tournament. Petree had originally left the program following in the spring of 2006 to spend more time with her family. However, she said that it was her family that aided in her decision to return to her alma mater. I want our program to be successful on and off the court, she said. I want to continue the winning traditions that we had established and Id love to win another conference championship. I think its about time we do that again. I want our program to be one that both the McMurry and Abilene community can be proud of. Petree was a three-sport letterman at McMurry in basketball, track and volleyball. As a volleyball player she was a four-time all-conference selection and was named NAIA all-region. She graduated in 1983 and is a member of McMurrys Athletic Hall of Honor when she was inducted in 2006. Petree has two children: Megan and Austin. She and her husband, Richard, live in View.

Caroline Cleveland returned to the McMurry athletics staff as senior associate athletics director for DEI and administration and assistant volleyball coach in 2024.   She also served as an assistant volleyball coach in 2014-15, helping lead the team to records of 21-13 and 19-11 with two appearances in the NCCAA national tournament. She also served as head coach of the Abilene Aces club team, winning nine tournaments in two seasons. Cleveland joined the staff of Abilene High School as an assistant in volleyball and soccer in 2016 and was named head volleyball coach at AHS in 2021. She led the Eagles to three postseason appearances, including a ninth-place finish in 2022. Before her arrival, AHS had not made the playoffs since 2015. Cleveland received Coach of the Year honors in 2022.   She played volleyball at Angelo State and graduated from McMurry with a degree in business administration in 2014.   The daughter of former McMurry employee Chris Proctor-Cleveland, and granddaughter of former McMurry coach Glen Cleveland and Billye Proctor-Shaw, Caroline attends St. Paul Methodist Church. She also has volunteered with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, The Grace Museum, Hendrick Home for Children, and Meals on Wheels.   She is a native Abilenian.