The AVCA is pleased to announce its 2024 Regional Coaches of the Year for Two-Year College women’s volleyball, as chosen by the Two-Year College Volleyball All-America Selection Committee. The eight recipients, who represent all three NJCAA divisions, the 3C2A, and the NWAC, come from each of the four regions: Midwest, Northeast/Southeast, Southwest, and West.
MIDWEST REGION COACHES OF THE YEAR
Megan Besecker, Barton Community College
2024 Record: 33-4
Besecker’s first two seasons at Barton have been very memorable. After leading her inaugural squad to the school’s first conference title in 12 years, her 2024 team went 33-4 and was fourth at the NJCAA Division I National Championship. The Cougars rolled through the regular season, only dropping two matches.
Steven Gream, Cowley College
2024 Record: 40-0
Gream’s team kept two streaks going when it beat Johnson County in the 2024 NJCAA Division II Women’s Volleyball Championship final. The 3-1 victory was the team’s 81st-consecutive win, and it gave Cowley its second-straight national title. The dominance was evidenced by the fact that that the Lady Tigers only dropped five sets all season.
NORTHEAST/SOUTHEAST REGION COACHES OF THE YEAR
Thais Baziquetto-Allen, Florida SouthWestern State College
2024 Record: 26-1
It was another outstanding year for Baziquetto-Allen’s Buccaneers, who got the threepeat by beating Miami Dade in the NJCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship match. The team was an offensive juggernaut, hitting .322 and averaging 13.48 kills per set, and it closed the season on a 16-match win streak to take a third-straight title.
Alicia Riggan, Sandhills Community College
2024 Record: 37-7
The veteran coach’s Sandhills team continued the school’s tradition of volleyball success, winning 37 matches against a rigorous schedule. Among the memorable moments from the 2024 season were the team advancing to the NJCAA Division III National Championship and Riggan earning her 250th career coaching victory.
SOUTHWEST REGION COACHES OF THE YEAR
Shelby Forchtner, New Mexico Military Institute
2024 Record: 32-4
In 2024, Forchtner extended the excellence that NMMI volleyball fans have come to expect in her 19 years as head coach. From Sept. 1 through the Region V Tournament, the Lady Broncos ripped off 25 straight victories and advanced to the NJCAA Division I Volleyball Championship for the seventh time since 2016.
Phil Nickel, Dallas College Eastfield
2024 Record: 34-1
Another year, another title for Nickel and Dallas College Eastfield. The Harvester Bees rolled through the field at the NJCAA Division III Championship, not dropping a set in the four matches and beating Minnesota West to earn a second-straight national title. Sweeps weren’t uncommon, as Nickell’s squad dropped on 10 sets all year.
WEST REGION COACHES OF THE YEAR
Joe Amaral, Skagit Valley College
2024 Record: 33-4
Despite 2024 only being his second season as head coach, Amaral continues to make his mark at Skagit Valley. From mid-September on, the Cardinals won 18 of their final 19 matches, and they captured the program’s first NWAC Tournament trophy by ending Linn-Benton’s incredible 89-match win streak.
Danielle Jensen, Utah State University Eastern
2024 Record: 25-8
Jensen led the USU Eastern to a historic season of firsts. The team won its first outright Scenic West Athletic Conference title, captured its first SWAC Region 18 Tournament, and won its first Rocky Mountain District Championship. The Lady Eagles also earned a first-ever automatic berth in the NJCAA Division I National Championship.