RALEIGH, NC – Jonathan Paulk of Shaw University was named CIAA Volleyball Coach of the Year on Wednesday after leading the Lady Bears to a historic regular season.
Paulk won the league's top coaching honor in his fourth season as Shaw head coach, which is turning out to be one the most successful in school history. He has directed the Lady Bears to a 28-5 overall record including an 18-0 CIAA mark, making Shaw the latest CIAA team to finish unbeaten in the conference in 12 years. The 28 wins are the most in recent school history.
Six players garnered All-CIAA recognition under Paulk, and two players –
Lauren Janok and
Jasmine Culp – were chosen Setter of the Year and Rookie of the Year, respectively, in the CIAA. The Lady Bears, ranked seventh in the Atlantic Region, are the top-ranked team in the nation in service aces.
The Lady Bears have improved their win total each year during Paulk's tenure, going from 17 wins in 2019, 18 wins in 2021, 23 wins in 2022 to 28 wins in 2023. The 2020 season was canceled due to COVID-19.
His overall coaching record is 86-29 for a 74.8 winning percentage. His teams have won three division titles and reached the CIAA Championship Match four consecutive years.
The Lady Bears will attempt to win their first CIAA championship under Paulk's direction during CIAA Championship weekend at Bowie State University in Bowie, Md. Shaw faces Fayetteville State for the third time this season in the CIAA semifinals on Saturday, Nov. 18, at 2 p.m.
