Dec. 20, 2002

NEW ORLEANS - North Carolina volleyball head coach Joe Sagula has been elected president-elect of the American Volleyball Coaches Association as determined in a vote at the organization's annual convention in New Orleans, the AVCA announced this week.

Sagula will serve a one year term as president-elect starting Jan. 1. He will begin a two-year term as AVCA president on Jan. 1, 2004, when current AVCA President Stephanie Schleuder's term expires.

"Joe is one of our most respected professionals who brings a wealth of practical and visionary experience to the AVCA," Schleuder said. "We are honored that he has chosen once again to demonstrate his commitment to the AVCA in the role of president."

Sagula, 474-284 overall as a head coach and 271-163 at UNC, completed his 13th season with Tar Heel program with a NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 finish in 2002. North Carolina was ranked as high as 11th this season, a school and conference all-time best.

Sagula was named the AVCA/Tachikara East Region Coach of the Year for his team's success this season, the third time in his career he has garnered the award. He has led the Tar Heels to the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament championship three of the past four years and was named ACC Coach of the Year in both 1998 and 2002.

Sagula has been actively involved in the AVCA in a variety of areas. He served as the AVCA Division I All-America Committee Chair for four years while a head coach at Penn, in addition to four years on the AVCA Board of Directors as its awards committee representative. Sagula is a voter on the USA Today/AVCA Coaches Top 25 Poll. His experience has crossed over to USA Volleyball with coaching experience with the USA National Women's Volleyball B Team in 1990.

Sagula will also serve on the AVCA executive committee once he takes office.