Coker's Indermill Earns AVCA Diversity Award

FULL AVCA RELEASE

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Coker University assistant volleyball coach Erin Indermill was recently named an American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Diversity Award winner. Indermill was one of 26 coaches to be honored with the award.

Indermill is sponsored by the Big West Conference coaches.

Indermill was a Division I student-athlete at California State University, Northridge, where she was a member of the volleyball and beach volleyball teams. She was a four-time member of the Big West Conference All-Academic Team, and also a two-year team captain. As team captain, she was responsible for assisting in the coordination of team meals, team bonding and itineraries. She was also named to the Big West Conference All-Academic Team for beach volleyball. She was CSUN's nominee for the Big West Service and Leadership Award, and also an executive board member in the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. She served as the community service representative from 2016-17, while serving as Co-President from 2017-19. She was also involved in the Intercollegiate Athletics Advisory Council. 

"I am extremely honored to be chosen by the coaches of the Big West Conference for this award that emphasizes the importance of diversity within volleyball," said Indermill. "All award winners have been following a specific diversity track during the AVCA Convention this week which educates us on how to effectively promote diversity within our sport, the athletics community, and in life. I have been inspired by the actions taken within the volleyball community and am empowered to utilize these tools moving forward."

In June of this year, Iowa State University head volleyball coach and past AVCA president, Christy Johnson-Lynch, along with her head volleyball coach colleagues from the Big 12 Conference decided to donate to the AVCA Diversity Fund to support the program and sponsor an award recipient for 2020. Subsequently, the Big 12 coaches challenged other coaches and conferences in the volleyball community to accept the challenge of supporting the AVCA Diversity Awards program. The Challenge resonated in the AVCA community and with other partnering organizations.

The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) is proud to announce 26 sponsored award recipients along with an additional 14 awardees of the 2020 AVCA Diversity Award.

For the 2020 AVCA Diversity Award program, recipients will participate in a series of educational, developmental, and relationship building experiences in conjunction with the 2020 AVCA Virtual Convention, December 16-19 (With all 2020 AVCA Diversity Award winners being invited to in-person programming at the 2021 AVCA Convention in Columbus, Ohio). Recipients will also be integrated into the AVCA Diversity Award winner alumni program that consists of continuing education, relationship building, and mentoring upon completion of the initial programming.

"In these unprecedented times, we are excited about the leadership represented in the 2020 AVCA Diversity Award class," said Nickie Sanlin, McKendree University head men's and women's coach and chair of the AVCA Diversity Development Team. "The largest class of recipients to date, come from all walks of life and represent different backgrounds and coaching experiences from each corner of the country. A big thank you to the numerous conferences who took part in the Big 12 Diversity Challenge for their support and donations. Their generosity will provide more black and more ethnic minority coaches the chance to strengthen their professional networks and help prepare the next generation of coaches to pursue their future dreams. Our partnerships in the AVCA community to help educate, engage, and strengthen Black and ethnic minority coaches is not only intentional but critical to showcase the leaders who have come through the Diversity Program and their positive impact in the sport." 

Additionally, as part of the AVCA Diversity Development Team's ongoing efforts to mitigate coach development, the team has partnered with 10 of the AVCA's USA Volleyball Region Affiliate Partners to provide a scholarship to attend the AVCA Virtual Convention that will allow these coaches to share in programming and experience the coaching education opportunities available virtually for 2020.

With the postponement of the 2020 NCAA DI Women's Volleyball Championship, the AVCA made the decision to host the 2020 AVCA Convention virtually. The virtual format will have more than 100 educational sessions and activities as well as a virtual exhibit show and the annual AVCA Auction with proceeds supporting the AVCA Diversity Awards program. For more information, please visit the AVCA Virtual Convention website, https://avcaconvention.org/.

"I'm very excited for Erin to receive the AVCA Diversity Award this year," said Coker head coach Travis Nead. "Erin in her short time at Coker has exhibited an excellent skill set for the coaching profession and I cannot wait to see where her career takes her. Coker Volleyball is very proud of Erin for putting herself among such exceptional company with this AVCA Diversity Award."  

ABOUT THE AVCA

The AVCA, with its headquarters in Lexington, Ky., is managed by Associations International. The mission of the AVCA is to advance the sport of volleyball with AVCA coaches at the epicenter of leadership, advocacy, and professional development. With a membership of over 8,000 and counting, the AVCA provides a professional network for those individuals and companies dedicated to enhancing and promoting the sport. Members include collegiate, high school, club, youth, and Olympic coaches, as well as volleyball club directors. The AVCA provides education to volleyball coaches, recognition of elite players and coaches, promotion of volleyball competitions throughout the world, and networking opportunities for volleyball products and services providers. Further information is available at www.avca.org.

ABOUT COKER UNIVERSITY

Coker University is a student-focused, comprehensive institution of higher education with a strong liberal arts core, located in Hartsville, South Carolina. Coker combines round table, discussion-based learning with hands-on experiences to encourage active participation in and out of the classroom. A supportive, close-knit community prepares Coker students with the confidence and practical life skills they need to reach their personal best, in college and beyond.

Founded in 1908, Coker is a bachelor's and master's degree-granting institution and competes in 22 NCAA Division II sports. Coker is included among the "Best Colleges" in the South by U.S. News & World Report as well as The Princeton Review, and by Washington Monthly as a "Best Bang for Your Buck" college in the southeast.