Women's Volleyball
- Title:
- Associate Head Coach (1st Season)
- Email:
- tfebruar@pfw.edu
Carin Avery comes to Purdue Fort Wayne after she took over the Valpo volleyball program in July 2002. She is the winningest head coach in the history of Valpo Athletics, and Avery owns a 528-266 (.665) record in her tenure as Valpo head coach.
Avery claimed the crown as the winningest head coach in Valpo Athletics history in September 2023, as the Beacons' win at Purdue Fort Wayne was her 479th at Valpo. She surpassed the legendary skipper Emory Bauer, the Valpo Athletics Hall of Fame coach who amassed 478 wins in his time leading the Valpo football, baseball and men's basketball programs. Avery hit the 500-win mark at Valpo in October 2024 with a victory at Murray State.
Valpo showed tremendous consistency under Avery, finishing in the top half of the conference standings 24 times in her 25 seasons —a time frame which has seen the program make multiple conference transitions: from the Mid-Continent Conference to the Horizon League, and then to the Missouri Valley Conference. Avery has led Valpo to top-half finishes in the MVC standings in each of the program’s first nine seasons in the Valley, making Valpo the only MVC program to post top-half finishes in each of those seasons.
Under Avery, a multitude of players have enjoyed individual success as well. She has coached six AVCA Honorable Mention All-Americans and 14 All-Region or Honorable Mention All-Region recipients during her time at Valpo. A two-time league Coach of the Year, Avery has led three conference Players of the Year, three Setters of the Year, 11 Libero/Defensive Players of the Year and three Freshman/Newcomers of the Year. In her 24 seasons, 63 Valpo players have been All-Conference selections and 22 players have been named to league All-Freshman/Newcomer teams.
The 2015 campaign brought yet another record-breaking start for the program, as Avery guided Valpo to nine consecutive wins to open the season - a new program record. Valpo went on to win 27 matches, tying the second-most wins in a single season in program history, and advanced to the Horizon League Championship title match for the fourth time since joining the league. The team brought home two in-season tournament titles in the early portion of the season, bringing to 22 the number of in-season tournament crowns Valpo has won during Avery's tenure. She coached two All-League and two All-Freshman Team choices
2005 was the final season for the first group of athletes who played for four full seasons under Avery as head coach, and the four seniors went out with a bang, closing their four-year careers with a 103-31 mark as Avery led them to their third straight Mid-Continent Conference regular season and tournament championships, as well as their third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. Along the way, the team ran their Mid-Con winning streak to 21 matches, while Avery etched out a spot for herself in the Valpo record books, becoming the program’s winningest coach with her 93rd win at Valpo on October 21.
Avery guided the 2004 team to undoubtedly the most successful season in school history. The 2004 squad went 29-5, including a perfect 14-0 mark in Mid-Con action. Among the victories was an early-season win at rival Notre Dame, the first-such win in 24 years, and a school-record 14-match winning streak during the middle of the campaign. Avery earned her second straight Mid-Con Coach of the Year accolade as Valpo won the conference regular season and tournament titles en route to its second straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
Avery led the 2003 Valpo team to the first NCAA Tournament appearance in seven years, cementing itself as a program to be reckoned with at the mid-major level. The 2003 squad went 13-1 in conference play and 27-8 overall, including a thrilling five-set win at the ARC over Oral Roberts to claim the conference tournament title. For her efforts, Avery was recognized as the Mid-Con Coach of the Year. In 2002, Avery helped set the foundation for the success to come by guiding Valpo to 20 victories in her rookie season and a second-place finish in the Mid-Con standings.
Avery arrived at Valpo in 1999, joining then-head coach Becky Madden’s staff that faced the challenge of restoring a program that had followed up three straight 24-plus win seasons with back-to-back losing years in 1997 and 1998. In her three years as an assistant coach prior to ascending to head coach, Avery worked with Madden to rebuild the program and to recruit players to get the team back to the next level.
Before arriving at Valpo, Avery sharpened her coaching teeth in the NAIA ranks, serving as an assistant at Bethel (Ind.) College from 1995-96 before taking over as head coach in 1997. After going 43-10 and leading the Pilots to the NAIA Great Lakes Region Championship Game that season, Avery was named NCCAA Regional Coach of the Year. In 1998, Avery moved out west, leading Southern California College (now Vangard University) to four wins over NAIA Top-20 opponents with four freshmen starters, and finishing the year 12-14.
Before her coaching career began, Avery was a standout player, honing her skills at Mishawaka High School where she was twice named a High School All-American by USA Today and earned the Mental Attitude Award for the state of Indiana in 1990. One of the top athletes in the school’s history, Avery was inducted into the Mishawaka High School Hall of Fame in 2002.
Avery began her collegiate playing career at the University of Kentucky, playing on an NCAA Tournament “Sweet Sixteen” team in 1992. Following that season, Avery transferred to Ball State University and led the Cardinals to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances. During her time at Ball State, Avery earned All-Mid East Regional, First Team All-Conference and was named Most Valuable Player of the MAC Tournament.
In 1995, Avery recorded 408 digs (3.61/ game) for the Cardinals, then the second highest total and average in school history. Today, Avery ranks among the career leaders in 11 different statistical categories. She was inducted into the Ball State Athletics Hall of Fame as part of the 1994 volleyball team in December 2017.
A 1996 graduate of Ball State with a degree in Special Education, Avery has played professionally on the Midwest Professional Volleyball Association Beach Tour since 1995, twice being named the tour’s Most Valuable Player (2000 and 2002).
