June 11, 2010

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Three years after stepping away from the collegiate ranks as a head coach, Nancy Somera returns to the South Carolina volleyball staff as the director of operations, head coach Ben Somera announced today.

Nancy Somera served as a head coach for eight years, the final two at the helm of the Gamecock program. Her two South Carolina teams went 28-31 combined. Since stepping away, Somera worked in private business before returning to coach Heathwood Hall last season. During her time leading the Gamecocks, the team won its eighth game all-time against a top-25 team, defeating sixth-ranked Florida, 3-1, on Sept. 17, 2006.

While she’s been away from the bench for three years, she’s stayed close to the program. She has served as the camp director for Somera Sports Camps the past three summers and provided the play by play for the Gamecocks’ home-match webcasts on GamecocksOnline.com.

Somera came to Columbia from Oregon State, where she served as the Beavers’ head volleyball coach for six seasons. In Corvallis, her teams went 77-98, finishing above .500 in three of the six years and making one NCAA Tournament. She started her coaching career at Southern California, her alma mater, serving as assistant coach from 1991-98. A four-year letter-winner for the Trojans, Somera earned her undergraduate in journalism/broadcasting and her masters in communication.

Somera replaces Kristin Belzung, who took an assistant coaching job at South Dakota State, a Summit League member.