The North Alabama Lions beach volleyball team represents the University of North Alabama in the Atlantic Sun Conference. They are currently led by head coach Kaleb VanDePerre and play their home games at the UNA Beach Volleyball Courts.[1]
History
Beach volleyball was added as a sport at UNA in 2019. It was added along with women's golf to keep the amount of sports sponsored at 14 as both women's indoor and outdoor track programs were discontinued.[2]
Bob White served as the first head coach of the program in 2019 as an addition to his duties as the indoor volleyball coach.[3] In the inaugural season, the Lions won their first match in a faceoff against the Huntingdon Hawks.[4] The Lions would also win their first ever home match against in-state rival Jacksonville State.[5]
In 2021, assistant coach Thais Yancey took over as head coach and led UNA to its first ever winning season.[6]
Before the 2023 season, Kaleb VanDePerre was brought on as the new head coach as Yancey returned to her previous position as assistant coach. VanDePerre, who was previously the head coach at Liberty University, was brought on in an effort to separate indoor and beach volleyball.[7]
In 2023, the Lions earned their first 20-win season. They made it to the ASUN quarterfinals where they lost to North Florida.[8] The year also saw the team's first All-ASUN First Team selection with the pair of Paula Klemperer and Taylor Seney.[9]
2024 also saw the Lions set a new record for season wins as they finished 22–16. In the ASUN tournament, they made it to the semifinals before losing to FGCU.[12][13]
The season also saw multiple honors awarded to the Lions. Coach VanDePerre won the ASUN Coach of the Year, which is the first time a coach at UNA has won the honor in the Division I era. Paula Klemperer and Taylor Seney was selected to the ASUN First Team for the second straight year. They were also joined by the pair of Katy Floyd and Selma Robinson.[14][15]
