AVCA Division I Regional Awards 

LEXINGTON, Ky. – University of South Alabama volleyball head coach Jesse Ortiz was named the 2021 American Volleyball Coaches Association Southeast Region Coach of the Year, as announced by the organization on Tuesday. 

Ortiz, the 2021 Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year, led the Jaguars to a 25-7 overall record and 15-1 finish in SBC play, which set a program record for conference wins in a season, en route to the first SBC regular-season championship, first conference tournament title and first NCAA Tournament appearance in school history in his first year at the helm. USA's 25 wins were the most by a Jaguar team since the 1987 squad won 26 matches, and its 13-game win streak from Oct. 15 – Nov. 21 marked the longest since the '87 team won 15 straight games.

South Alabama led the SBC in opponent hitting percentage (.145), opponent assists per set (10.49), opponent kills per set (11.29), ranked second in opponent service aces per set (1.04) and blocks per set (2.42), and third in hitting percentage (.237), assists per set (12.00) and kills per set (13.04).

Four Jaguars earned all-conference honors – Kailey Keeble was named first-team all-SBC, while Hannah Maddux, Maddie Soboleski and Kennedy Wallace were each voted second-team all-SBC – which marked the most in a single-season in program history. Keeble was also named the SBC Championship Most Valuable Player, and earned all-tournament honors along with Niki Capizzi.

Ortiz is the first head coach in Jaguar history to be voted the AVCA Region Coach of the Year.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with USAJaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at Twitter.com/WeAreSouth_JAGS. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

Join the Rally Score Club, the volleyball specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund. All donations to the Rally Score Club go directly to support the South Alabama volleyball program. For more information on how you can join visit:  jaguarathleticfund.com/rallyscoreclub.