Pac-12 women's volleyball Diversity Mentorship Program participants named for 2023

SAN FRANCISCO – The Pac-12 announced today the 2023 selections for the Conference's women's volleyball Diversity Mentorship Program.

Long Beach City College head coach Tyler Jackson, Morgan State University head coach Xiomara Ortiz, University of Kentucky Graduate Assistant Sara Parson and Texas Woman’s University graduate assistant Penny Tusa were selected as mentees for the program's third year. Jackson will be paired with USC head coach Brad Keller, Ortiz with Stanford’s Kevin Hambly, Parson with Oregon’s Matt Ulmer and Tusa with California’s Sam Crosson. The quartet will receive hands-on experience, regularly meeting with assigned coaching staffs and program administrators, along with traveling for in-person meetings with their mentors. In addition, they will hold regular meetings with the newly added Pac-12 Chief People and Inclusion Officer, Quashaun Lockett.

The applicant pool consisted of minority graduating seniors and coaches who are early in their careers, passionate about coaching women's volleyball, and interested in getting experience at the highest collegiate level. Pac-12 women’s volleyball coaching staffs collectively launched the Diversity Mentorship Program in October 2020 with the aim of strengthening the pool of minority candidates for collegiate head and assistant coaching positions in NCAA Division I women’s volleyball. 

Additional elements of the Diversity Mentorship Program include six live-lesson and discussion sessions with True North Sports’ leadership development and AVCA membership and attendance at the annual convention. All elements are funded through Pac-12 coaching staffs as well as donations from corporations or friends of Pac-12 women’s volleyball programs.

The first two years of the program have been impactful for both mentor and mentee.

“My experience as a mentor for the Pac-12 Diversity Mentorship Program was profound for both myself and my mentee,” said Utah head coach Beth Launiere, who was paired with Tennessee State head coach Donika Sutton this past year. “The relationship built between the two of us was the key to success. While I believe I was able to share some expertise and knowledge, the value came from the shared experience of delving into the sport and issues of our profession.”

That sentiment was echoed by San Diego Associate Head Coach, Jaye Loyd, who was mentored by Washington State head coach Jen Greeny as part of the 2022 mentee class.

“I found so much value in the the Pac-12 Diversity Mentorship Program,” said Loyd. “In addition to the knowledge gained from some of the best in the business, genuine relationships were formed. The program was built by people who truly care about the growth and advancement of diversity in the volleyball space. This is more than a mentorship program, it is a community of people who want to see you win.”

The 2022 mentees included Chanel Davis (Winston-Salem State Head Coach); Jocelyn Garcia (Butler Assistant Coach); Jaye Loyd (UC San Diego Associate Head Coach); and Donika Sutton (Tennessee State Head Coach). The inaugural class in 2021 included: Cinthia Angus, (now Saint Mary’s Assistant Coach); Simone Asque (now Siena College Head Coach); Carrie Gurnell (Purdue Supervisor of Volleyball Operations); Cheneta Robinson, (now Southern Indiana Assistant Coach); Melissa Robinson (now South Carolina State Head Coach) and Brittany Williams (Bethune Cookman Head Coach).

2023 Pac-12 Volleyball Diversity Mentorship Program Participants