Grand Valley State
University’s Deanne Scanlon Named 2005 Tachikara/AVCA Division II National Coach
of the YearSM
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Dec. 6, 2005) – The American Volleyball Coaches
Association (AVCA), in conjunction with Tachikara USA, Inc, is proud to announce
that Grand Valley State University Head Women’s Volleyball Coach Deanne Scanlon
has been selected as the 2005 Tachikara/AVCA Division II National Coach of the
YearSM.
Scanlon led Grand Valley State to its first-ever NCAA Division II Tournament
national championship. The Lakers finished the season with a 32-6 record overall
and a 15-3 mark in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Grand
Valley State, which returned four starters and seven letterwinners from last
season, posted a 5-3 mark against teams currently ranked in the CSTV/AVCA
Division II Coaches Top 25 Poll. The Lakers won 13 straight matches from Sept.
24 to Oct. 28 and spent the entire season ranked in the national poll.
The Lakers won the NCAA Division II Tournament Great Lakes Region by sweeping
24th-ranked Rockhurst in the regional final. Grand Valley State earned the right
to host the regional after going 26-6 in the regular season and winning the
GLIAC Tournament. The Lakers, who entered the NCAA Division II Tournament Elite
Eight ranked 16th, swept Dowling in the national quarterfinals and then upset
third-ranked University of Tampa in five games in the national semifinal. The
Lakers upset top-ranked and tournament-host University of Nebraska at Kearney to
claim the national title. The Grand Valley State victory broke
Nebraska-Kearney’s 66-match home-court win streak.
Scanlon has posted a 294-90 career record in her 11 seasons at Grand Valley
State. She has led the Lakers to five Elite Eight appearances and four national
semifinal appearances. Scanlon has been named GLIAC Coach of the Year twice and
Tachikara/AVCA Great Lakes Region Coach of the YearSM four times.
Tachikara will formally present the AVCA Division II National Coach of the
YearSM award on Dec. 15 in San Antonio at the Tachikara/AVCA Coach of the Year
and Victory Club AwardsSM banquet. The brunch is held in conjunction with the
2005 AVCA Annual Convention.
Scanlon led Grand Valley State to its first-ever NCAA Division II Tournament
national championship. The Lakers finished the season with a 32-6 record overall
and a 15-3 mark in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Grand
Valley State, which returned four starters and seven letterwinners from last
season, posted a 5-3 mark against teams currently ranked in the CSTV/AVCA
Division II Coaches Top 25 Poll. The Lakers won 13 straight matches from Sept.
24 to Oct. 28 and spent the entire season ranked in the national poll. 
Tachikara will formally present the AVCA Division II National Coach of the
YearSM award on Dec. 15 in San Antonio at the Tachikara/AVCA Coach of the Year
and Victory Club AwardsSM banquet. The brunch is held in conjunction with the
2005 AVCA Annual Convention.
