VGCC Names Women’s Volleyball Coach
Ellis Crews of Oxford has been named the head coach for the new women’s volleyball program at Vance-Granville Community College. Women’s volleyball will become the college’s third intercollegiate sport, following men’s basketball and golf. VGCC joined the National Junior College Athletic Association in 2008.
Crews (pictured above), who retired after 30 years in staff development at the Murdoch Center in Butner, has been involved in volleyball as a player, official and coach. Locally, he is best known for his five-year run as the head coach for girls’ volleyball at his alma mater, J.F. Webb High School in Oxford. He was named Mid-State Coach of the Year three times. His teams won four straight Mid-State regular season championships and one eastern regional championship, and were the runners-up for the state championship in 2006.
“I’m excited to be the first volleyball coach at VGCC,” Crews said. “I only have one focus: to build the best college volleyball program in the NJCAA. There is a lot of work to do coaching, organizing, and traveling, but I’m really enjoying it.” Crews said he had always thought about moving from coaching in the high school ranks to the college level. “I think creating this new sport at VGCC provides great opportunities in our community, and it’s a real plus for the college,” he said.
VGCC’s first volleyball season is currently scheduled to run from early September through late October, with a regional tournament in November. Opponents will include colleges from all over the state. The Vanguards’ home court will be at Aycock Recreation Complex in Henderson.
An informational meeting for students interested in playing women’s volleyball will be held on Thursday, April 23, at 3 p.m. in the conference room in Building 8 on VGCC’s main campus. Crews said that he looks forward to finding and developing potential in VGCC students, whether they have experience playing volleyball or not. More information concerning VGCC athletics is available on the college web site (vgcc.springerstudios.net/Athletics) .
