Old Dominion University Women's Volleyball

A native of Chesapeake, Cannon cheered collegiately at Louisville and Florida Atlantic, winning a national championship at both schools. During her time at FAU she was a team captain.“We were very impressed with Tara’s credentials. She has great collegiate experience, including two national championships,” ODU Assistant Athletic Director Carolyn Crutchfield said.“We are excited to welcome her to the ODU family and eager to see where she will take our spirit squad programs.”At Louisville, which is annually one of the top cheerleading programs in the country, Cannon helped the Cardinals to a national championship with the small-coed team, and earned all-America honors.At FAU, she helped the Owls to a national title as a member of their all-girls squad. She was also a part of Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and their Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).She has coached cheerleading at Indian River schools and most recently coached in the Great Bridge school district, and prior to that was an assistant coach for Universal Cheerleaders Association of Virginia for three years.She coached Cheerleading Worlds in Orlando, Florida and coached at Top Gun All Stars and also the Boca Raton Hurricane All StarsCannon is currently a teacher in the Indian River School District.A graduate of Hickory High School, Cannon earned her Master’s degree from Liberty.

Dominick Fink, is in her 2nd year at ODU, serving as Head Coach for the Dynasty Dance Team. She is a graduate of Old Dominion University with a B.A., Communications and a M.S., Applied Behavior Analysis. As a doctoral student, Fink is dedicated to improving the lives of students with special learning needs through research, advocacy, and innovative strategies.  Dominick has been involved in the performing arts and entertainment industry for 20 years as a dancer and choreographer, working alongside New Kids on the Block, John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John and the cast from Grease, 95 South, 69 Boyz, Colt Ford, Nile Rogers and appearing in a series of Carnival Cruise Line commercials. Dominick is a recipient of the prestigious President's Outstanding Volunteer Service Award for her commitment to community service. She was part of both the Miss USA and Miss America organizations winning the titles Miss District of Columbia Teen USA 2014 and Miss Virginia's Outstanding Teen in 2011. As a 4-year NFL Cheerleader, Dominick served as team captain, was named "Rookie of the Year" and "Cheerleader of the Game." She performed yearly as part of the NFL International Series at Wembley Stadium and was selected as a calendar model in the NFL. 

Fred Chao is entering his sixth season as the head coach of the Old Dominion volleyball team in 2025. He was announced on January 29, 2019 as the first-ever volleyball coach at ODU. “We feel very fortunate to attract a coach with the charisma, integrity and knowledge that Fred Chao possesses. Coach Chao was the unanimous choice by everyone on our selection committee after he vividly articulated his vision and plans for a nationally prominent future for ODU women’s volleyball,” Selig said. Chao's fifth season at the helm proved to be a historic one for the program as the Monarchs put together their first 10-match win streak. ODU went 13-2 to open the 2024 campaign and finished 16-11 with a 5-9 mark against Sun Belt opponents. It marked a new program record for wins in a season. The team also secured its second-ever win over a Power 5 opponent, defeating Rutgers in straight sets on Sept. 19 to open the Old Dominion Invitational. The Monarchs came away with five-set victories over William & Mary, Loyola (Md.), George Mason, and Radford in non-conference action. In Sun Belt play, ODU notched a series sweep of Coastal Carolina and split its series versus App State, Southern Miss, and James Madison. Myah Conway represented the Monarchs on the All-Sun Belt Second Team and was joined on the CSC Academic All-District Team by Elisa Maggi, Ashlynn Belcher and Kate Kilpatrick. The Monarchs continued their strong effort in the classroom, earning the AVCA Team Academic Award for the sixth year in a row. The 2023 season saw the Monarchs finish 14-17 overall and 6-10 in conference play. ODU started off by winning three of its first four matches, to include going 3-0 in that year's Quest for the Crown tournament. The program also notched its first victory over a Power 5 program as ODU opened the Mountaineer Invitational with a straight-set win over the tournament host, West Virginia. Myah Conway and Bailey Burgess were named Sun Belt Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week on Sept. 19, and Teresa Atilano picked up a Sun Belt Setter of the Week nod on Sept. 26. Conway earned All-Conference First Team honors for the second year in a row and became the first player in program history in reach 1,000 career kills. Teresa Atilano also had a career milestone, becoming the first Monarch to eclipse 3,000 assists. ODU earned the No. 5 seed out of the Sun Belt's East Division, but fell to No. 4 seed Louisiana, 3-0 in the second round of the Sun Belt Championship. Conway added 2023-24 Virginia Sports Information DIrectors (VaSID) Academic All-State honors, and the team earned the AVCA Team Academic Award for the fifth straight year. Chao guided the Monarchs to a 12-16 record overall and a 7-7 mark in league play as ODU made the jump to the Sun Belt Conference in 2022. In his third season, Chao's squad secured non-conference wins over Navy, Norfolk State and VCU and added Sun Belt sweeps of Marshall and Georgia State. ODU then made its first-ever appearance in a conference tournament as the Monarchs earned the No. 3 seed out of the Sun Belt's East Division. The 2022 campaign saw Myah Conway named to the All-Conference First Team, the first First Team selection in program history, as well as to the Quest for the Crown and VCU Invitational All-Tournament Teams. Bailey Burgess and Teresa Atilano both made the Virginia Tech Invitational All-Tournament Team, Atilano was named the Sun Belt Setter of the Week on Sept. 27, and Anna Burkhardt was chosen as the league's Defensive Player of the Week on Nov. 8. Additionally, Atilano, Burkhardt, Conway and Hailey Duncan garnered College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All District honors.Competing in a traditional fall season for the first time, Chao’s Monarchs went 13-13 overall and 5-7 in Conference USA in 2021, a four-match improvement from their inaugural season. ODU finished tied for fourth in the C-USA East Division, missing out on its first conference tournament appearance by virtue of tiebreaking criteria. Old Dominion swept hosts Liberty on the first day of the Liberty Invitational on Sept. 10 before adding a win against Purdue Fort Wayne to close out the tournament. The following weekend, the Monarchs ran the table at the Quest for the Crown, including a 3-0 sweep of crosstown rival Norfolk State in the final match. Teresa Atilano was named tournament MVP and joined Hailey Duncan and Myah Conway on the all-tournament team.  The Monarchs showcased their resiliency throughout the fall 2021 season. They overcame a 2-1 deficit to defeat UAB in their home conference opener on Oct. 1. The following week, ODU bounced back from a Friday loss to Charlotte to sweep the 49ers the following day and added another come-from-behind win at Marshall on Oct. 15. Old Dominion took a step forward across the board in the fall, posting improvements in hitting percentage, kills per set, assists per set, digs per set and blocks per set. The Monarchs averaged 2.28 blocks per set and ranked fifth in C-USA. Hailey Duncan and Olivia De Jesus averaged better than one block per set and were seventh and eighth, respectively, in the conference in blocks per set. In total, ODU finished nine matches with 10 or more blocks, including a team-record 19 in the win over UAB.  Chao guided Alessia Sgherza to the All-Conference USA Second Team for a second-consecutive season and saw Myah Conway play her way onto the Conference USA All-Freshman Team. Sgherza averaged a team-leading 2.79 kills per set in her final season and improved her hitting percentage by nearly 30 points. Conway was third on the team with 2.19 kills per set and tallied 70 total blocks. The Monarchs remained competitive in the classroom as well with Anna Burkhardt and Hailey Duncan receiving Conference USA All-Academic Team recognition. Duncan was one of three Monarchs (Myah Conway and Julia Dunning) to finish the fall 2021 semester with a perfect 4.0 GPA. The Monarchs posted a 7-11 overall mark and went 4-8 in Conference USA in their inaugural season. In its first-ever match as a program, ODU swept George Mason 3-0 on Jan. 22 to christen the new ODU Volleyball Center. The Monarchs notched their first conference win on Feb. 9 with a 3-1 result at FIU. ODU then went on to sweep Florida Atlantic at home in a two-game C-USA series. Chao coached a pair of individuals to C-USA accolades as Alessia Sgherza was named Second Team All-C-USA and Teresa Atilano was featured on the all-freshman team. Sgherza was also honored on the C-USA All-Academic Team alongside teammate Hailey Duncan. Chao spent the last two seasons at Duke, helping the Blue Devils to back-to-back winning seasons. This year the Blue Devils defeated No. 5 Pittsburgh, giving the Panthers their first loss of the season, and earned a berth to the NCAA Tournament. Prior to joining the Blue Devils, Chao spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Virginia Tech. Chao’s resume includes over 20 years of coaching experience. He served as the head men’s volleyball coach at George Mason (1999-2015) while simultaneously working as an assistant coach with the Patriots’ women’s volleyball team (1998-2004). “I would like to thank President John R. Broderick, Athletic Director Wood Selig and Associate A.D./Senior Women’s Administrator Ragean Hill, for entrusting me to build the very first volleyball program at ODU. I would also like to thank the search committee and all the warm and passionate people I met throughout the process. Everyone is excited to have volleyball at ODU, and the level of commitment to the program is evident,” Chao said. “I am grateful for all the players, coaches and administrators who have been part of my coaching journey which ultimately led to this incredible opportunity. Finally, I would like to thank my wife, Dana, and my children Keira and Kylar, for their constant encouragement and support. We are thrilled to join the Monarch family.”     A three-time Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) Coach of the Year, Chao guided the George Mason men’s team to 15 consecutive EIVA Championship Tournament appearances. The Patriots advanced to the finals five times and compiled a 246-204 overall record in Chao’s tenure. Prior to taking the helm at George Mason, Chao worked as an assistant women’s coach at the University of Maryland Baltimore County from 1997-98. In addition to his collegiate coaching experience, Chao has worked diligently with youth teams and camps at the local, national and international levels. He coached some of the top boys’ players in the nation at the 2002 USA Volleyball Development Camp and was as an assistant coach with the 2005 USA Junior Men’s National Team, traveling to India for the World Championships. Chao also directed the USA Boys Development Camp and was the head coach of the USA Boys and USA Girls Youth A2 Programs. A native of Silver Spring, Maryland, Chao received his bachelor’s degree in psychology with a concentration in physiological psychology from George Mason in 1994. He completed his master’s degree in educational psychology with a concentration in learning, cognition and motivation at Mason in 2014. Chao played collegiate volleyball at Pepperdine University before completing his career at George Mason. Chao and his wife, Dana, have two children: daughter Keira and son Kylar. 

Becca Lamb is entering her sixth season at Old Dominion in 2025. She was Head Coach Fred Chao's first hire at ODU and after four years as an assistant coch was elevated to Associate Head Coach in May 2024. ODU went 13-2 to open the 2024 campaign and finished 16-11 with a 5-9 mark against Sun Belt opponents, marking a new program record for wins in a season. The Monarchs put together their first 10-match win streak and also secured their second-ever win over a Power 5 opponent, defeating Rutgers in straight sets on Sept. 19 to open the Old Dominion Invitational. ODU earned five-set victories over William & Mary, Loyola (Md.), George Mason, and Radford in non-conference action. In Sun Belt play, ODU notched a series sweep of Coastal Carolina and split its series versus App State, Southern Miss, and James Madison. Myah Conway represented the Monarchs on the All-Sun Belt Second Team. Lamb's fourth season at ODU saw the Monarchs set a new program record for wins in a season, finishing 14-17 overall with a 6-10 mark against Sun Belt Conference opponents. ODU entered the conference championship as the No. 5 seed out of the league’s East Division with Myah Conway earning All-Conference First Team honors for the second year in a row. Conway became the first Monarch to reach 1,000 career kills and Teresa Atilano eclipsed 3,000 career assists. In her third season at ODU, Lamb helped coach the Monarchs to their first appearance in a conference tournament in 2023 as the team earned the third seed out of the Sun Belt's East Division. ODU finished the season 12-16 overall and 7-7 in league play, earning non-conference wins overs Navy, Norfolk State and VCU with Sun Belt series sweeps of Marshall and Georgia State. Myah Conway became the first Monarch in program history to earn All-Conference First Team honors, Teresa Atilano was named the Sun Belt Setter of the Week on Sept. 27, and Anna Burkhardt was chosen as the league's Defensive Player of the Week on Nov. 8.Lamb helped lead ODU to a four-match improvement in the fall 2021 season, the Monarchs’ first conventional fall season. Old Dominion finished 13-13 overall and 5-7 in Conference USA, missing out on the conference tournament on tiebreaking criteria. With Lamb on the bench, the Monarchs won their first ever in-season tournament, sweeping all three matches of the Quest for the Crown. Under Lamb’s teaching, the Monarchs posted statistical improvements across the board in their second season. ODU averaged 2.28 blocks per set and ranked fifth in C-USA. Hailey Duncan and Olivia De Jesus averaged better than one block per set and were seventh and eighth, respectively, in the conference in blocks per set. In total, ODU finished nine matches with 10 or more blocks, including a team-record 19 in an Oct. 1 win over UAB. Alessia Sgherza repeated on the All-Conference USA Second Team, finishing the season with 2.79 kills per set while boosting her hitting percentage by nearly 30 points. Myah Conway earned a spot on the C-USA All-Freshman Team after finishing third on the team in kills per set (2.19) and total blocks (70). Lamb helped lead the Monarchs to a 7-11 mark with a 4-8 conference record in their inaugural season. ODU won its opening match, sweeping George Mason on Jan. 22, and collected its first C-USA victory over FIU on Feb. 9. Additionally, the Monarchs added a home sweep of Florida Atlantic in a two-game conference series. With Lamb on the bench, Alessia Sgherza played her way onto the All-Conference USA Second Team, and Teresa Atilano was recognized on the all-freshman team. Lamb joins ODU after spending three years as an assistant coach at Murray State. Lamb helped the Racers to two Ohio Valley Conference Championships in her three years as an assistant coach. “I’m thankful for this unique opportunity. I can’t wait to join the Monarch family and join Coach Chao. I’m grateful for the support and work that’s already been done to get the program started,” Lamb said. “I’m excited to be a part of the very beginning of a great volleyball tradition. I am ready to get started and to thank the entire athletic department for making this happen.” Lamb also spent two seasons as an assistant coach at USC Upstate. Lamb played in 122 matches at Murray State from 2007-2010. She ranks in the top-10 all-time in the Racers record books in matches played, sets played with 446, and she ranks seventh in school history with 1,152 kills and blocks with 193. She earned All-OVC honors as a junior and in all four seasons received OVC commissioner’s honor roll accolades. Following her collegiate career, Lamb played professionally overseas in Germany and Finland from 2012-2014. Lamb earned her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice in 2011 from Murray State and a master’s in human development and leadership in 2013, also from Murray State.