Lucas named UAPB volleyball coach
UAPB Athletics
Cameo Stokes, Sports Information Director
PINE BLUFF – Chelsey Lucas has been named Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s head volleyball coach, UAPB Athletic Director Melvin Hines announced today.
Lucas, a former SWAC Defensive Player of the Year and first-team all-conference performer in volleyball, comes to UAPB after three seasons as head coach at conference member Alcorn State, helping the program advance to the SWAC Tournament in her final season for the first time since 2015.
Lucas will be introduced during the football signing day event Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the 410 Lounge (formerly the Social Lounge).
“We are elated to hire a person of Chelsey’s pedigree,” Hines said. “She was a student-athlete in this conference, a Player of the Year in our league, and a SWAC Champion. Chelsey knows what it takes to compete and win in the conference, and we look forward to her having great success at Arkansas-Pine Bluff.”
In 2018, the Lady Braves’ six conference wins were the most in the program since the 2003 season. Alcorn ranked second in the nation in aces per set at 1.98. Individually, sophomore Fiapaipai Iosia ranked third in the nation with in aces per set at 0.66.
“I’m thankful to Mr. Hines for this opportunity to lead the Lady Lions volleyball program,” Lucas said. “I competed in the SWAC Western Division has a player, and coached against the division in the last three years, as well as the entire conference and have seen the quality of play continue to get better yearly. I’m excited to build the UAPB program, and we will work hard to build the Lady Lions into a consistent championship contender.”
Lucas first entered coaching in 2007 as an assistant coach at Terrebonne High School in her hometown of Houma, La. and as head coach of the Bayou Bandits club team. She was then hired as Houma Junior High School’s head volleyball coach in 2009 before taking the same job at Riverside Academy (Reserve, La.) in 2011.
Also in 2011, Lucas was named club director of the Louisiana Southern Swing Volleyball Club in the midst of immediate success at Riverside. She led the Rebels to back-to-back LHSAA Division IV semifinal appearances in 2012 and 2013.
Prior to Alcorn, Lucas also spent three seasons as head volleyball and track and field coach at East St. John High School (Reserve, La.).
As a player, Lucas was named SWAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2006, anchoring the backline for Grambling State during its run to the SWAC Regular Season title. A 2006 All-SWAC first team selection as a senior, Lucas led the conference with 396 digs, highlighted by a SWAC season’s best 43-dig performance at Texas Southern.
Lucas earned her Bachelor’s degree from Grambling in 2007, and her Masters from the University of Phoenix in 2011.