Southern Oregon University Women's Volleyball

Katlyn Monroe is headed to Southern Oregon University for the 2025-26 season as the Raider women's wrestling team's next head coach, Director of Athletics Matt Sayre announced on May 28. Monroe will join SOU following three years as the head coach at Alma College (Mich.), an NCAA Division III program that launched its first varsity season in 2023-24 under her guidance. "Katlyn was an impressive wrestler in her collegiate career and has become a respected and accomplished head coach in her own right," Sayre said. "Her experience and clear focus on culture-building are perfect for our program right now. The Raider women's wrestlers are eager to embrace her as head coach and begin a new era at SOU." At Alma, Monroe's Scots went from 2-8 in their first season to 6-3 in their second in dual matches while nearly tripling their total number of bout victories (220) and wins by fall (130). The program's quick rise was underscored by wins over two nationally-ranked opponents, and they produced four NWCA Scholar All-Americans both seasons. Monroe, 25, was a dual-sport athlete in wrestling and cross country at Campbellsville University (Ky.), from which she earned a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's in business. She was an All-American for Tigers teams that captured back-to-back NAIA Invitational championships in 2021 and '22, placing third at 123 pounds and fifth at 130. In the latter season, she served as graduate assistant while competing for Campbellsville and simultaneously coached at the local Highlands High School. "I'm incredibly honored and excited to step into the role of head women's wrestling coach at SOU," Monroe said. "When this opportunity was first presented, I honestly didn't think I could move across the country for my career. But after meeting with Matt (Sayre), Joye (Levendusky) and (head men's wrestling coach) Joel (Gibson), it quickly became something I couldn't say no to. There's something truly special happening at SOU." Monroe, née Pizzo, has obtained USA Wrestling Bronze and Teal certifications. The product of Madison Heights, Mich., is married to Jordan Monroe, who was on staff as her assistant at Alma and will also join her at SOU. She'll take over a program that is two years removed from winning the NAIA championship and has placed top-five nationally four of the last five seasons. The Raiders went 12-3 in dual action and yielded five All-Americans in 2024-25. "This is already a high-level program with a strong foundation of success, and I'm grateful for the chance to help lead it into its next chapter," Monroe said. "My passion has always been helping athletes become the best versions of themselves – in wrestling, in the classroom, and as people. I look forward to bringing the same love and energy I poured into my athletes at Alma and continuing to build on the incredible work Coach Levendusky has done."

Southern Oregon University is welcoming back an old hall-of-fame face to lead one of its newest programs. Paul Elliott, who remains the winningest volleyball coach in SOU history after leading the team from 1991-2006, will return to become the Raiders’ head women’s beach volleyball coach, Director of Athletics Matt Sayre announced on Feb. 4. The school revealed in December the addition of beach volleyball along with golf, cycling, and competitive cheer and dance to the athletic department. Each program will launch in 2022-23, with beach volleyball making its competitive debut next spring. “I couldn’t be happier to be able to come back to a place I worked for 16 years and build a brand new program from scratch with the athletic department being as strong as it is today,” Elliott said. “I think Southern Oregon is the perfect place for a beach program and I look forward to working with college athletes in a sport that’s near and dear to my heart.” Elliott – an eight-time conference or regional coach of the year – compiled a 381-166 record in his first stop at SOU, a wins mark that at the time of his departure ranked first in Cascade Conference volleyball history and 16th on the NAIA’s all-time list. His teams won four conference championships, four regional championships, and from 2001-04 made the program’s first-ever NAIA national tournament appearances consecutively. In 2011, he was inducted into the SOU Sports Hall of Fame. He departed to become the assistant athletic director and head volleyball coach at Notre Dame High School in Salinas, Calif. He’s been at Santa Catalina School in Monterey, Calif., since 2009 – serving as athletic director, head volleyball coach, department chair of physical education and athletics, and a physical education teacher. On the beach circuit, Elliott attained a AAA player rating as part of the Association of Volleyball Professionals from 1985-87. He served from 2013-17 as a director of beach volleyball camps for the Central Coast Volleyball Club, and in recent years has continued to coach on the sand in camp, clinic and private instructional settings, including a stint training student-athletes from Cal State Monterey Bay. “Paul will bring a great depth of experience to our efforts to launch this program successfully,” Sayre said. “He’ll find the best student-athletes to be a part of it and grow it into a perennial national contender. His character, experience and dynamic coaching style are a perfect fit for us.” The Chico State University alum received Santa Catalina School’s Sister Carlotta Distinguished Service Award in 2020. He’s now a 14-time overall coach of the year. “I’m just so excited to be back in Ashland and I think we’re going to draw student-athletes, I think they’re going to want to come,” Elliott said. “With the facilities we’re building we’ll be able to put quality teams on the sand very soon.”