Raven Swain has been named the 4th head coach of the Our Lady of the Lake (OLLU) volleyball program, OLLU Director of Athletics Tom Norris announced on Monday.
Swain is no stranger to the OLLU volleyball program, serving as the assistant coach for the last three seasons. Swain was also a standout on the court for the Saints from 2013-2017. The Austin, Texas native was named the 2017 Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) Player of the Year as well as an honorable mention NAIA All-American. During the same season, Swain was also named the AVCA All-South Central Region Player of the Year.
She holds the all-time record for most matches played and is second in most sets played with 416. Swain also holds the following records: all-time digs with 1,188 and season kills with 379. Swain was part of the team that won its first-ever RRAC regular season and tournament title in 2015 and subsequently won in 2016 and 2017. In 2017, the team made it to pool play at the NAIA National Championship Tournament.
“I am excited to name Coach Swain the next head coach of the Saints,” said Norris. “Raven was played a pivotal part in laying the foundation for this program. Her ability to build relationships with her student-athletes and bring the best out of them shined bright during her time as an assistant coach. I look forward to watching Coach Swain continue to lead our program and sustaining its success.”
Swain takes over the program after an NAIA National Tournament appearance during the 2024 season. The Saints earned an automatic bid by winning the RRAC Tournament, defeating Texas A&M-Texarkana in the finals by a score of 3-0. OLLU finished with an overall record of 23-9 and 14-2 in RRAC action.
“I want to say thank you to OLLU President Dr. Abel A. Chávez and Athletic Director Tom Norris for this amazing opportunity to be the next head volleyball coach of this great university,” said Swain. “It’s such a surreal moment for me to be able to lead the same program that has always been so special to me as a player, assistant coach, and now head coach. OLLU volleyball has a long history of being very competitive and successful, and I look forward to continuing that tradition of winning! I thank the coaches that have come before me, and I’m grateful that I’m able to build upon the foundation that they have set for this program, but more importantly I’m excited to give back and inspire these young women in a positive way to be the best they can be both on and off the court. I’m beyond honored for this opportunity, and I can’t wait for the success to continue for this program. Go Saints!”
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