Olmstead named AVCA Coach of the Year

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – BYU head coach Shawn Olmstead has been named the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division I National Coach of the Year, the association announced Thursday. 

Olmstead has led the Cougars so far this season to a 29-4 overall record, including a 16-2 first-place finish in West Coast Conference play. The 29 wins are the most by a BYU squad since the 1998 season. In his fourth season at the helm, Olmstead has guided the Cougars to three-consecutive regional semifinal appearances - including a national semifinals run in 2014, the first since 1993. 

Olmstead picked up his 100th-career win against Arizona to advance to the regional semifinals this season. He currently holds a 102-24 overall coaching record. 

BYU is the top blocking team in the nation, averaging 2.87 blocks per set, and is led by the No. 1 and 2 blockers in the nation in Whitney Young (1.92) and Amy Boswell (1.67), respectively. 

The Cougars also boast three 2014 AVCA All-Americans with Jennifer Hamson being named to the First Team, Alexa Gray to the Second Team and Boswell to the Honorable Mention list.

This is the first AVCA Coach of the Year award for Olmstead. He was previously named the 2014 All-Pacific South Region Coach of the Year and the 2014 WCC Co-Coach of the Year.