LEXINGTON, Ky.- In a release by the American Volleyball Coaches Association on Dec. 11, University of Indianapolis volleyball head coach Jody Butera was named the 2009 AVCA Division II National Coach of the Year. Butera guided the Greyhounds to a stellar 38-2 mark this season, punctuated by the program’s first-ever trip to the Elite Eight.
Butera led the Greyhounds to a host of program records this fall, including most wins in a season (38) and highest winning percentage (.950). The team captured its second Great Lakes Valley Conference title under her direction, as well as its first Midwest Regional crown. UIndy ended the season ranked sixth in the final AVCA D-II Coaches Poll, its highest final ranking in program history.
“I’m really humbled by this award,” said Butera, “but the student-athletes I coached this season deserve the credit. They worked extremely hard everyday, and so did our staff. You’re only as good as the people you have around you, and I am truly grateful to have educators, administrators and athletic trainers here at UIndy that really put a lot of effort into making this past season unforgettable.”
The fourth winningest active Division II coach under the age of 40, Butera has posted a 324-155 (.675) career record in her 13 seasons at the University of Indianapolis. She led the Greyhounds an even 100 victories the past three seasons, capping each year with an NCAA Tournament appearance. She was also named the 2009 Midwest Region Coach of the Year by the AVCA and the 2007 GLVC Coach of the Year by the league’s coaches.
The AVCA will formally present the Division II National Coach of the Year award to Butera at the jostens Coaches Honors Luncheon in Tampa, Fla. Dec. 17. The luncheon will be held in conjunction with the 2009 AVCA Annual Convention.