GCU's Matt Werle MPSF Volleyball Coach of the Year
Photo: Matt Werle, Grand Canyon (Courtesy: GCU Athletics)
2024 MPSF Coach of the Year
MATT WERLE · NINTH YEAR · HEAD COACH · GRAND CANYON
Grand Canyon Head Coach
Matt Werle has guided the 2024 Lopes to a school record 25 wins with the NCAA’s second-highest win percentage of .862. Competing in its first-ever MPSF Championship match, GCU won its first-ever title to punch its second all-time ticket to the NCAA Tournament. The Lopes’ conference title run culminated with a five-set win over defending NCAA and MPSF Champion No. 1 UCLA, snapping a streak of nine consecutive MPSF Championship match wins by the top seed (since 2011). Grand Canyon began the year with a 15-0 start, and within that stretch, had six consecutive wins over the top-10, a first-ever AVCA No. 1 national ranking, and dropped a total of just four sets. Through the MPSF Tournament, GCU had 10 wins over the top-10 and four others over the top-20. The Lopes placed a school record five players on the All-MPSF teams this year. During the MPSF Tournament, first team All-MPSF outside hitter Camden Gianni broke the program’s single season ace record (55) and climbed into second all-time in the MPSF career record book (210). He also moved into second in career kills at GCU, while first team All-MPSF setter and tournament MVP Nic Slight jumped to second at GCU in career assists. The is Werle’s first-ever MPSF coaching award, while he is the second recipient from Grand Canyon to earn a major MPSF annual award (Gianni, 2020-21).