HAVERFORD, Pa. – Haverford College Director of Athletics Wendy Smith '87 is pleased to announce that Michele Benoit has been hired as head coach of the women's volleyball program.
Benoit brings 16 years of head coaching experience at the Division II and III levels to Haverford. She joins the Fords' staff after two seasons as the head coach at D-II University of Wisconsin-Parkside. Benoit posted a 40-23 record with the Rangers, including a 21-win season in 2009. It was the program's first season with 20+ wins since 1997.
"I am very pleased to welcome Michele Benoit to Haverford College as our head volleyball coach," said Smith. "Michele's distinct appreciation for and commitment to the Division III athletic experience and her emphasis on both the academic and athletic excellence of our student-athletes made her an ideal selection for the continued success of our volleyball program."
Before making the jump to Division II, Benoit served as the head coach of Mount St. Joseph for 14 seasons. In her time as the leader of the Lions, Benoit won 400 matches and 10 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) championships. The Lions concluded a season ranked in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) top-25 eight times, including six consecutive top-10 rankings from 1999 to 2004. She garnered five HCAC and two Great Lakes Regional Coach of the Year awards. A member of the AVCA Great Lake All-Region Team selection committee, Benoit also sat on the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Advisory and NCAA Division III National Volleyball Coaches committees.
"I am excited to be at an institution that is as high caliber, athletically and academically, as Haverford," stated Benoit. "I look forward to the new challenges and being back at Division III. I liked meeting the players the first time and can't wait to get to know them."
Benoit started her coaching career at Magnificat High School in 1987, where she was also a full-time theology teacher. In her six seasons, she won 123 matches and led the team to the 1991 OSHAA Division I state semifinal.
She takes over a Haverford program that won the Centennial Conference regular season crown with a perfect 10-0 mark in 2010 but fell in the semifinals of the conference tournament. Prior to that, the Fords won the Centennial title four years in a row and earned four NCAA Tournament bids.
"I look forward to continuing the success that the program has enjoyed, and help it advance on a national level," said Benoit.
A graduate of Ashland University with a B.S. in education, Benoit was a defensive specialist for the volleyball team. She was a two-time letter winner and a senior captain. Benoit also earned a M.Ed. from the University of Akron. She is a member of the AVCA, Women's Sports Foundation and the National Strength and Conditioning Association.