College of California, Merced Govt Director of Recreation & Athletics David Dunham introduced in the present day that Chris Carter has been named the third head males’s volleyball coach in program historical past.
“We’re excited to have Chris be a part of our program,” Dunham mentioned. “He brings nice expertise that can proceed to construct upon the strong basis Coach Ai Prachumsri constructed with our males’s volleyball program. I stay up for working with him as we transition into NCAA Division II.”
Carter has been teaching collegiately throughout numerous ranges since 2021 together with assistant teaching stops at UAlbany, Springfield School, and Westcliff College.
“It’s an amazing day to be a Bobcat! I need to thank David Dunham, Payton Williams, Ai Prachumsri and your entire UC Merced neighborhood for his or her religion in me to guide the lads’s volleyball program right into a brilliant future in NCAA Division II,” Carter mentioned.
“From step one on campus, I might really feel the joy and keenness from everybody I interacted with in regards to the development of the college and neighborhood,” Carter continued. “Between that and a dedication to excellence and continued funding within the athletic division, I knew that Merced is the place to be. I’m excited to get to work to proceed constructing a championship-level tradition of excellence at UC Merced that may be a powerhouse for years to come back and one thing that student-athletes, spectators, and neighborhood members need to be part of.”
This previous season with NCAA Division I UAlbany girls’s volleyball, Carter was part of the 2024 America East Teaching Workers of the Yr. UAlbany certified for the America East Match for the primary time since 2021 and upset top-seeded Binghamton to advance to the convention championship match. Carter was key in improving the Danes protection that almost all notably completed second within the America East in digs per set, an enormous enchancment from the 12 months prior. UAlbany additionally had a five-win enchancment with Carter on employees. Carter labored with the America East Rookie of the Yr Maria Olga Siapani.
Previous to UAlbany, Carter served in several capacities at NCAA Division III Springfield School with males’s and ladies’s volleyball. Carter was a graduate assistant and recruiting coordinator for Springfield males’s volleyball serving beneath 11X nationwide champion and 5X AVCA Division III Nationwide Coach of the Yr Charlie Sullivan. Carter was on the sidelines for a pair of NCAA Match appearances (2023-24) and Springfield was nationally-ranked high ten the vast majority of weeks with Carter on employees. He was key in serving to information a Springfield offense that completed high 5 nationally in hitting share back-to-back years. Additionally of be aware, the 2023 squad led the nation in service aces per set. Dylan Mulvaney (2023) and Sam Levinson (2024) earned AVCA Nationwide Newcomer of the Yr honors. With the Springfield duo and UAlbany’s Siapani, Carter has confirmed to guide freshman to success having three freshman in as many seasons win main awards.
Carter additionally coached 5 AVCA All-Individuals for the 2023 & 2024 groups that performed to an general document of 42-12.
With Springfield girls’s volleyball within the fall of 2023, Carter was a volunteer assistant coach for the NEWMAC Teaching Workers of the Yr and D3 Area 2 Teaching Workers of the Yr. Springfield received the NEWMAC regular-season title with an 11-0 document and completed the season 27-5 general. The season concluded with a visit to the second spherical of the NCAA Match. Springfield was nationally-ranked for the primary time in a decade. The group had 5 student-athletes who have been named to the 2023 AVCA Division III Ladies’s Volleyball All-America Groups, tied for probably the most within the nation.
Carter’s first collegiate job was assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for Westcliff College in 2021 and into the spring of 2022.
Prior to school teaching, Carter led College Excessive Faculty in Irvine, Calif., to consecutive CIF playoff appearances and led various age teams for Pulse Athletics Volleyball Membership in Orange County.
A California native, Carter earned his bachelor’s diploma in political science from Cal State Fullerton in 2022 and accomplished his grasp’s diploma in athletic management from Springfield School in 2024.
