DuPage head coach Tolis Koskinaris named DIII Volleyball Coach of the Year
Charlotte, NC - College of DuPage head volleyball coach Tolis Koskinaris has been named the 2022 NJCAA DIII Volleyball Coach of the Year.
Since taking over the Chaparrals program in 2015, Koskinaris surpassed the 100-win mark in his career at DuPage and secure the program's third national championship.
The Chaps this season entered as the preseason No. 4 team and immediately jumped to the top of the polls after an impressive 11-0 start to the season, beating top-ranked Owens (OH) along the way. After some setbacks and adversity, the Chaps never fell out of the top 5 throughout the season and won the Midwest District Championship.
Koskinaris' Chaps entered the National Tournament as the No. 2 overall seed and received a first-round bye. They faced the No. 10 Finger lakes in the quarterfinals and won the match in straight sets. Their hot streak continued with a 3-0 win over No. 3 Century in the semifinal and punched their first national championship game appearance since 1999. DuPage faced top-ranked Owens in the National Championship game, where they brought home their third title in school history.
The Chaps head coach was named the Heidi Hutchinson Coach of the Tournament for the first time in his career. Sophomore setter Chloey Myers was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player and sophomore LS Alyssa Fountain was named to the All-Tournament Team. Myers and Fountain were also named First Team All-America selections. Sophomore middle hitter Olivia Witek was named a second-team All-Americ selection.
College of DuPage athletic director Ryan Kaiser on coach Koskinaris:
"During any season, coaches are faced with adversity over the course of their season. Tolis faced challenges throughout this volleyball season that he was able to navigate and overcome. His leadership shined through on how to negotiate the circumstances of this season. His players continually showed grit and determination throughout the year to win the championship. I could not be more proud that Tolis along with his staff will share this coaching award."
