After five years as Lenoir-Rhyne’s
Head Volleyball Coach, Dave
Markland has raised
expectations for the program
as the Bears are now a
regular contender for the
conference crown.
Markland
also serves as the Assistant
Director of Intercollegiate
Athletics and oversees L-R’s
spring sports and splits
duties with Assistant
Athletic Director and Head
Softball Coach Shena Hollar
when it comes to the
University’s winter sports.
Entering his sixth season
this fall, Markland has
compiled a 108-68 record as
Bear mentor since being
hired in the spring of 2003
and is four wins away from
becoming the winningest
volleyball coach in
Lenoir-Rhyne history.
In 2007, the
Bears finished with an 18-16
overall record and a 6-8
mark in league play, placing
them fifth. Senior Catherine
Fulton and junior Katie
Novacek were named to the
All-South Atlantic
Conference First Team while
Caroline Albertelli received
league all-freshman team
honors.
Two years
ago, Markland received his
second South Atlantic
Conference Coach of the Year
award as Lenoir-Rhyne
captured its second regular
season championship in three
years with a record of 25-13
(12-2 SAC). Five players
received All-SAC honors
including Abby Smith, who
was selected to the All-SAC
First Team, and Kathryn
Phillips, who was named an
All-SAC second-teamer and a
CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine
Academic All-American.
In 2005, the Bears started
slow with a youthful group
of players but put together
10-straight wins down the
stretch to finish the season
strong. Lenoir-Rhyne grabbed
fourth-place in the league
with a 22-12, 8-6 SAC
record.
In 2004, Markland guided the
team to two firsts: a SAC
Regular Season Title and a
berth in the NCAA Division
II Playoffs. The Bears
finished 27-8 overall and
12-2 in league play. Their
victory total was the
second-highest in school
single-season history.
Markland,
who won the SAC
Coach-of-the-Year honors for
his efforts that year, saw
two of his players named to
the all-league first team in
addition to Lauren McLelland
being named the SAC Freshman
of the Year.
The rise began in his first
year in 2003 when the squad
improved from a 12-21 mark
and 2-12 record in SAC play
in 2002 to 16-19 and 5-9,
respectively, despite
fielding a young team.
Markland arrived in Hickory
after serving as the head
coach for Davie County High
School from 2000 until 2002.
His teams from the
Mocksville, N.C., school won
two Central Piedmont 4A
Conference Championships and
earned a NCHSAA 4A playoff
berth in 2002. Markland also
served as the head coach at
West Caldwell High School in
Lenoir, N.C. for the 1999
season.
A 1977 graduate of
Appalachian State University
with a degree in health and
physical education, Markland
has 10 years of coaching
experience at the Division I
level including seven years
as Head Coach for
Appalachian State (1992-98)
and three as an assistant
for the University of North
Carolina (1989-91).
During his tenure at ASU,
Markland’s squad won three
Southern Conference
Championships, two Southern
Conference Tournament
Championships and twice
qualified for the NCAA
Tournament.
Markland, who guided the
Mountaineers to a 152-87
overall mark, also earned
Southern Conference
Coach-of-the-Year honors
twice.
As an athlete, Coach
Markland distinguished
himself as a three-time
All-American with the Men’s
Major Slowpitch League of
the Amateur Softball
Association. While at
Appalachian State as an
undergraduate, he competed
in track and field, setting
school and Southern
Conference records in
javelin. A four-year
letterman, Markland earned
Team MVP Honors his junior
and senior seasons and still
holds the school javelin
record.
Markland received his
master’s degree from
Appalachian State in 1979.
Markland’s wife, Cheryl, is
a physical education teacher
at Clyde Campbell Elementary
in Hickory. The couple has
one daughter (Ashley) and
one son (Bradley).
