April 5, 2022 | by Taylor Pill

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Former Maranatha Men's Volleyball captain Matt Noland ('17) has been promoted to assistant coach at the University of North Florida Women's Volleyball Program, which competes in the ASUN Conference of NCAA DI.

Noland was promoted to assistant coach after serving as a volunteer assistant in the Ospreys' record-setting season in 2021. The Ospreys concluded the year with a 25-8 record - their best record since turning Division I. It was also the first time the Ospreys had advanced beyond the ASUN Championship.

"It's an honor to be a part of the volleyball staff at North Florida in this new role," Noland said. "I'm excited to support the team as we continue the UNF tradition of excellence and community. I'm equally excited for the future of North Florida volleyball as we grow and pursue greater heights each day, [and] for the privilege of working in such a supportive culture that the entire staff and UNF live out daily."

Before beginning his coaching career, Noland was one of the key men in helping the Maranatha Men's Volleyball program reach the varsity level. Noland laid the groundwork during Maranatha's club days and was an ideal team player in the eyes of Coach Regina DeLozier.

"The term captain, player, or player-coach was not just a title for him as he was the first to arrive and last to leave the gym to make sure responsibilities were met," DeLozier said. "He modeled patience and leadership as he took men who had never played the game and taught them the fundamentals and team play required to compete at the collegiate level. He was a fantastic liaison between the athletic staff and players, and he is sincerely a player that you miss and will remember forever."

Noland went to UNF after serving on the staff of the University of Pittsburgh in the spring of 2021 when the Panthers won the ACC Championship before losing to seventh-ranked Washington - just one match shy of qualifying for the NCAA National Semifinal.

Before coaching at Pittsburgh, Noland was in Guam from 2017-20, where he filled the position of Athletic Director at Harvest Christian Academy. Noland played for Guam's National Indoor Volleyball Team and founded the METGOT Volleyball Club during his time on the Island.

"It is with great joy and pride that I congratulate Matt on earning his first assistant position here at the University of North Florida," UNF head coach Kristen Wright said. "I also want to welcome his wife Annah to the [UNF] family in full capacity. The connection and impression Matt made on our administration, support staff, and student-athletes made it easy to select Matt as the next first assistant for UNF volleyball."

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For more on the UNF Women's Volleyball program, click here.