Sanchez named UMO men’s volleyball coach

MOUNT OLIVE – With seven years of collegiate coaching experience, Omar Sanchez has been named the head coach for the University of Mount Olive men’s volleyball program.

Sanchez recently completed his fourth year at the helm of the Missouri Valley College men’s volleyball team, an NAIA program, while also serving as an assistant coach for the women’s volleyball team.

“I am extremely grateful and humbled by the opportunity Athletic Director Joey Higginbotham and the University of Mount Olive have provided me to run the men’s volleyball program,” said Sanchez. “Having the platform to mold young men into positive contributors to our society is a tremendous honor. I look forward to getting to work both on and off the court.”

Sanchez led Missouri Valley to double-digit victories in all four seasons, highlighted by an 18-6 record in 2021. He coached three National Volleyball Association/American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American selections that season in Maxim Condurachi, Simon Joly and Joao Vitor Bonanoni. The Vikings finished the 2021 campaign No. 7 nationally ranked and earned their first appearance in the NAIA National Championship Tournament since 2016. Sanchez would be recognized as the Heart of America Athletic Conference Coach of the Year after that historic season.

He coached Bonanoni to conference Defensive Player of the Year ’21 and Freshman of the Year ’20 honors, while mentoring 16 all-conference selections during his time at Missouri Valley. Sanchez aided Joly to becoming the only player in program history to achieve 1,000 career kills and the first-ever player in NAIA history with 20-plus kill/digs in the same match. Off the court, he featured 19 student-athletes to receive academic all-conference accolades.

Prior to Missouri Valley, Sanchez was an assistant coach for the varsity boys volleyball team at Providence Catholic High School from 2016-18 and tallied 11 all-tournament selections. He also served as the head coach for the Victor J. Andrew High School freshman girls volleyball team in 2017. In addition, he was head coach for Ultimate Volleyball Club in Frankfort, Ill. for more than 10 years and helped numerous athletes achieve their goal of playing at the collegiate level.

In 2015, Sanchez served a short stint as a volunteer assistant for the women’s volleyball program at Indiana University. The Hoosiers posted a 16-16 record and ranked second in the Big Ten with 153 service aces, including 13 aces versus Michigan State. It mark the first time Indiana finished with an overall record at .500 or better since 2010, while the Hoosiers defeated five teams that made the NCAA Tournament.

Sanchez started his collegiate coaching career as the assistant coach for the men’s volleyball program at Grand View University, an NAIA program, from 2013-15. In two seasons, the Vikings registered back-to-back trips to the NAIA semifinals and a pair of NAIA North Conference titles. Sanchez assisted the program to a combined 48-12 record over two years and helped the team achieve the No. 1 ranking in the country.

“Omar has an outstanding background of leading and building successful teams,” Higginbotham said. “His energy was contagious during his interview, and the committee believed his passion for volleyball and our student-athletes separated him. We are excited to add Omar to our Trojan Family.”

A native of Illinois, Sanchez played at Quincy University during the 2007-08 season before transferring to Lewis University for his final three seasons. He was a member of the NCAA National Semifinalist and Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association Conference Championship team with the Flyers in 2012.

Sanchez completed his bachelor’s degree in sport management from Lewis University in 2012.