Grand View University’s Donan Cruz has been named the AVCA’s NAIA Men’s National Coach of the Year, while Tom Sorensen from Ottawa University has been named the Men’s National Assistant Coach of the Year.
Cruz is in his 6th season at the helm of the Vikings, and his team takes the #1 seed into the NAIA National Invitational Tournament. They went 12-0 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference this season and finished 22-3 overall: including a 14-match winning streak to end the regular season.
The team has been ranked #1 in the NAIA Coaches Poll in 6 of its 8 weeks of release, and put 3 players on the NAIA All-American team. This is Cruz’s 3rd time winning the award in the last 4 seasons.
Tom Sorensen, from Ottwawa University in Iowa, is in his second season with the Braves. He focuses primarily on the team’s attackers, who led the NAIA in kills-per-set (13.9), team hitting percentage (.329), and assists per set (13.1). Ottawa University, head coached by Melissa Blessington, is the #5 seed for the upcoming NAIA National Invitational Tournament.
As a player, Sorensen was a member of the U.S. Men’s National Team, culminating with a spot in the 1996 Summer Olympics.
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