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Highly-acclaimed Maes takes reins of UVa program
By J.C. Poma, Athletics Media Relations
When Lee Maes was introduced as the women’s volleyball coach in February, he immediately began to instill his vision for the program. To achieve that means, Maes is teaching his Cavaliers “to play with purpose, urgency, discipline, and an attack mentality.”
“Our players will exhibit power, finesse, speed, intelligence and skill,” Maes said. “Fans will see a fast, up-tempo offense predicated on ball-control and a relentless floor defense coordinated with efficient blocking.”
Maes has used his wealth of coaching experiences to instill these philosophies into Virginia’s program, and it has paid immediate dividends with the team racking up an 8-4 record in non-conference play.
Prior to taking over the Cavalier program, Maes spent the last three seasons as the head women’s assistant coach at Nebraska, where the Cornhuskers went 95-5 overall, including back-to-back Big 12 Conference championships and an NCAA Championship in 2006.
Along with his collegiate coaching experience, Maes has an extensive background at the national team level. He coached the USA Girls’ Junior National A2 team to a gold medal at the 2007 European Global Challenge and the 2006 High Performance Championships. He also helped train and develop current Olympians, Misty May-Treanor and Heather Bown.
With plenty of high-level experience already under his belt, Maes jumped at the opportunity to coach at one of the nation’s premier institutions.
“We tend to cite the fact that UVa was and is the Home of Presidents, Scholars and Champions,’” Maes said. “Virginia is a package that is filled with academic prestige, athletic excellence, cultural diversity, social and vibrant activity and endearing history. It is the sum of the parts that we believe will attract the finest student-athletes to UVa and be the impetus toward our program’s charge to national prominence.”
With senior middle hitter Shannon Davis returning from the 2007 squad which went 18-13 and finished in a fourth-place tie in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Maes is creating a balance of youth and experience that will help usher in a new era in women’s volleyball at Virginia. Davis has been named to the all-tournament team in all four of Virginia’s tournaments this season, including an MVP honor at UVa’s Marriott Jefferson Cup, which was won by the Cavaliers.
“Shannon is an exceptional person that is inherently driven and focused,” Maes said. “She is an obligate teammate and understands the symbiosis necessary for success. Balance, in part, becomes a byproduct of Shannon sharing her experience, assuming her role and executing her responsibilities as a fourth-year.”
“It has been good to play these preseason tournaments,” Davis said. “They have allowed us time to mix competition with practice in order to make ourselves better and better prepare us for the conference, because ultimately, we want to be ACC Champions.”
Maes’ expectation for success in conference play and national competition comes from Dr. Martin Luther King’s “the fierce urgency of now.”
“Our goal is to win the conference championship and earn a post season berth. Without a doubt, our ultimate vision for the volleyball program is to win a national championship. Our vision quest is reflected by believing in now and focusing our daily efforts in being the best we can be with the hope that our diligence and purpose will earn rewards.