Published Tuesday, February 5, 2008

NU assistant Maes named head coach at Virginia

LINCOLN University of Nebraska volleyball coach John Cook confirmed Monday afternoon that head assistant coach Lee Maes is leaving the Husker program to become the head coach at the University of Virginia.

Maes spent three seasons on the Husker staff, handing player training and opponent scouting and working extensively with the middle blockers while serving as the Huskers' recruiting coordinator. In his three seasons at Nebraska, Maes' teaching was evident, as the Huskers went 96-5 with three Big 12 titles and two appearances in the NCAA Championship match. He helped develop 13 AVCA All-Americans in his time at Nebraska, including national players of the year Christina Houghtelling (2005) and Sarah Pavan (2006).

Cook said that Maes has played a vital role in Nebraska's success over the last three years, highlighted by helping the Huskers win the school's third NCAA title.

"Since Lee's arrival, Nebraska has been on an incredible run over the last three years," Cook said. "We are thankful for his hard work and effort and helping Nebraska volleyball reach the next level. One of Lee's long-range goals was to become a head coach, and Virginia presented a great opportunity for him. They are very lucky to have him as their head coach, and it shows the commitment that Virginia is making to become a successful program."

Cook said that a national search is under way.

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