Athletics

The Palm Beach State College Athletic Department announces Drew Colvin as its new head volleyball coach for the 2016-17 season.

Colvin will officially begin his duties on June 1. He replaces Sam Skelton, who was the head coach for the past 18 years.

Originally from Sanderson, Fla., Colvin has been Palm Beach State’s assistant volleyball coach along with his wife Jessica for the past nine years.

“Drew has shown a great level of loyalty and commitment to the volleyball program and we are excited to now see him as head coach,” said Athletic Director David Holstein. “He is a great fit for the program. He not only has the experience but his personality meshes well with that of our players and staff. We are looking forward to seeing what he can achieve in the upcoming season.”

Last season, the volleyball team had their best overall season in a decade. They ended their regular season with a 24-9 overall record and 6-2 in Southern Conference regular season play. They also were ranked in the NJCAA top 13 of the country for seven weeks of the season and climbed as high as ninth for the first time in the program’s history. They went on to play in the NJCAA District/FCSAA State Volleyball Tournament. However, two match losses in the second day of tournament play kept them out of contention for nationals.

Colvin sat down to answer a few questions about his own volleyball experiences, his time at Palm Beach State and his style on the court.

Q: How did you get introduced to volleyball?
After high school, I was at the beach one day and met some people playing high-level beach volleyball. I started training and made it to the open/pro level quickly. I ended up playing varsity volleyball at Palm Beach Atlantic University. While there, I was named a NCCAA first team All-American. The program then turned into a club program and I took over as a player/coach. After graduating, I joined the women’s volleyball staff. After one season, I was promoted to associate head coach. The following year, I joined the staff at PBSC.

Q: How would you describe your very first season with the Panthers?
I would describe it as a learning experience. I would describe this year as a growing/learning experience. I will be growing as a coach and learning exactly how I like to run my own team.

Q: How would you describe your coaching style?
In a word: energetic. I like to do most of my coaching in practice so during the matches I can be the team’s biggest/loudest cheerleader.

Q: What improvements do you hope to see in your first season as head coach?
First, I would say that on the floor there won’t be too much of a change. I have been with the program for several years and hope to continue to put a competitive team on the floor and good students in the classroom. The goal we have yet to achieve is a national tournament berth and I believe we are very close to getting to that point.

For more on Palm Beach State volleyball, visit www.palmbeachstate.edu/Athletics/Womens-Volleyball