University of South Carolina Aiken Athletics

5/12/25

Glenn Cox begins his 18th season in charge of the USC Aiken volleyball program. In 17 seasons under Cox, the Pacers have compiled a record of 324-176.

Prior to joining USC Aiken, Cox had spent the previous six seasons as the head coach at the Savannah College of Art & Design, an NAIA institution in Savannah, Ga.

The 2024 campaign saw Cox’s team have the PBC Libero of the Year in Sadie McKay while Emily Lammers and McKay garnered all-league accolades. Kaitlyn Rodriguez earned all-tournament team accolades while the program earned the No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament. 


After facing a challenging schedule in 2023, the team was rewarded with an at-large bid as the No. 5 team in the NCAA Tournament. Cox coached all-conference performers Gyöngyvér Araczki and Kari Mercer. Lammers garnered all-tournament team honors while Mercer capped her career as a four-time all-league performer.  

Cox guided the Pacers back to the NCAA Tournament in 2022 as the No. 8 seed after nearly claiming the PBC Tournament Title. He led USC Aiken to the championship match after ousting No. 4 Georgia College & State and top-seeded Augusta. Cox coached all-PBC honorees Emily Lammers and Mercer as well as all-tournament team selections Mallory Barash and Sadie McKay. Both Lammers and Mercer picked up all-region honors while Mercer became the first student-athlete in the volleyball program's history to be both an All-American (2021) and Academic All-American (2022) in a career. 

The 2021 season featured more accolades for Cox’s team. Kari Mercer garnered All-America honors (D2CCA) and was the PBC Libero of the Year for the second consecutive season. Alie Smith became the first-ever five-time all-conference performer in PBC history. Caroline Foster earned all-league honors for the second consecutive season. Cox’s squad picked up the No. 3 seed in the PBC Tournament.

In the shortened 2020 campaign, Cox coached PBC Player of the Year Alie Smith, PBC Libero of the Year Kari Mercer and two more all-conference  honorees in Caroline Foster and Sydney Bresee. He guided the Pacers to a 9-4 regular-season mark and a third-place finish in the PBC.

The 2019 season saw the squad win a share of the PBC regular-season title. The Pacers finished the season with a 25-6 ledger and earned an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament. USC Aiken's 16-0 start marked the best start in school history for any sport. The squad featured a pair of All-Americans in Rebecca Martinez and Christine Carroll. Carroll was the Southeast Region Player of the Year and picked up PBC Player of the Year honors for the second consecutive season while Martinez garnered her third straight PBC Libero of the Year honor. Alli Bell and Alie Smith also earned all-league accolades and Kelsey Spurlin was the Elite 15 award winner for the second consecutive season. Martinez concluded her career as the PBC and school record leader for digs.

In 2018, Cox's team advanced to the Sweet 16. Under his guidance, Martinez became the first volleyball standout to earn first-team All-America honors after leading Division II in digs per set. Additionally, Christine Carroll garnered All-America honorable mention accolades. Martinez was named the PBC Libero of the Year while Carroll was tabbed the PBC Player of the Year. Cox picked up PBC Coach of the Year honors while Spurlin registered the Elite 15 award. 

Cox's team reeled off the longest winning streak in the school's history in 2017, registering 21 consecutive victories en route to the program's fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament berth. Rebecca Martinez earned second-team All-America accolades after picking up PBC Libero of the Year honors and all-region awards. Her 6.92 digs per set also established a school record. Rookie Alie Smith garnered all-region and all-conference honors while Julia Forster and Emily Teelon were also recognized by the league's head coaches.

Cox led the program to new heights in 2016. The squad posted a 31-5 record, including a 16-2 mark in the PBC. The team became the first female program to ever reach the Elite Eight in school history with a triumphant 3-2 come-from-behind win over Queens in the NCAA Southeast Region Championship. The team was loaded with four all-conference performers in Julia Forster, Danielle Mercer, Taylor Stratton and Teelon. Mercer was named the PBC Libero of the Year while Teelon was the PBC Setter of the Year. The two award winners, along with Stratton, garnered all-region honors.

Teelon became the first player to ever be named PBC Specialist of the Week five consecutive times. Cox, after leading his team to its second straight PBC regular-season title, was named the Coach of the Year for the second straight time. The program's 18-match winning streak marked the longest win streak of any team at USC Aiken since moving into Division II. 

In 2015, Cox led the Pacers to an outstanding 27-6 record. The team garnered a Peach Belt Conference regular-season title and earned the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Southeast Region Tournament for the first time in program history. Senior Ashley Diedrich picked up All-America honors and was just the third player in league history to become a two-time Player of the Year. Juniors Taylor Stratton and Katie Toman were tabbed all-region honorees as well. 

The 2014 season was a banner year for Cox. He led the team to a second-place finish in the Peach Belt Conference and his squad upended Armstrong and its 50-match PBC winning streak with a 3-0 victory on Nov. 6. The Pacers earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament for the first time under Cox and junior Ashley Diedrich was named the PBC Player of the Year and the Daktronics Region Player of the Year while also earning AVCA all-region honors. Senior setter Sheila Walsh finished her illustrious career by garnering all-conference accolades.

Cox guided the Pacers to a 19-13 mark, including a 9-9 effort in the Peach Belt Conference during the 2013 campaign despite having one of the youngest teams in the region. He led the team to the No. 6 seed in the PBC Tournament and guided the squad to the PBC Championship match. The squad's 19 victories marked the most since the 2007 season. Cox's Endea Ellison and Taylor Stratton earned all-tournament team accolades while Ellison and Aly Johnson were tabbed to the all-academic team.  

USC Aiken concluded its fifth season under Cox in 2012 with an overall record of 18-13. The Pacers were ranked as high as eighth in the NCAA Division II Southeast Region Volleyball Rankings. The Pacers finished the 2012 Peach Belt Conference regular season with a record of 7-7. Picked third in the 2012 preseason poll, USC Aiken's third-place finish marked the Pacers' highest seed since claiming the No. 1 seed en route to Peach Belt Conference Tournament Championships in 2006 and 2007.

Three Pacers garnered plaudits from the league office in 2012 with Samantha Lukralle leading the way by being named the recipient of the Peach Belt Conference Volleyball Elite 15 award.

In addition to being honored as the PBC Elite 15 award winner, Lukralle was also selected to the Capital One Academic NCAA Division II Women's Volleyball District Three First-Team for the second straight year in 2012. She was tabbed to the Peach Belt Conference All-Conference Second-Team.

Joining Lukralle on the Capital One Academic NCAA Division II Women's Volleyball District Three First-Team was Ashley Farwell, who claimed the honor for the first time in her career.

USC Aiken freshman Ashley Diedrich was tabbed as the Peach Belt Conference Co-Freshman of the Year. She became USC Aiken’s second winner of the award all-time.

USC Aiken’s Shannon Byers closed out her Pacer career as a four-time All-Peach Belt Conference selection.

The Pacers finished the 2011 season with an overall record of 15-16, while going 7-7 in the Peach Belt Conference and 8-5 at home in the Convocation Center.  The year would end for the Pacers in the Quarterfinals of the Peach Belt Conference Championship as they fell to Augusta State 3-2.

The 2011 Pacers had two team members, Samantha Lukralle and Shannon Byers, selected as All-PBC performers. Lukralle would also move to second on the all-time in school history for digs in a career. The Pacers also performed well in the classroom with four players being selected to the PBC All-Academic Team and two players earning Honorable Mention. Lukralle, Ashley Farwell, Chelsey Kight, and Claire Patten were named to the team with Endea Ellison and Emily Maassen honorable mentions.

The 2010 USC Aiken volleyball team ended its campaign with a 15-16 record. The Pacers went 6-8 in the Peach Belt Conference to finish fourth overall in the extremely tough volleyball conference.

The Pacers were ranked as high as 10^th in the NCAA Division II Southeast Region poll. USC Aiken would eventually conclude its year in the semifinals of the 2010 Peach Belt Conference Tournament.

USC Aiken made the most of its matches in the 2010 season by going a maximum five sets in 13 of their matches.

Pacer libero Samantha Lukralle broke the school single-season dig record for the second consecutive season in 2010 and was named the PBC Libero of the Year along with being chosen to the PBC All-Tournament team and the All-Region team. Shannon Byers was selected to the PBC All-Conference First Team.

Three Pacers were named to the PBC All-Academic team with Chelsey Kight, Ashley Farwell and Lukralle earning all collecting all-academic honors.

The 2009 USC Aiken volleyball team finished the season with a 15-18 record, going 5-9 in Peach Belt Conference play. USC Aiken hosted the 2009 PBC Volleyball Championships for the first time in their new home arena, the Convocation Center. The Pacers entered the tournament as the fifth seeded team.

USC Aiken’s Lauren Cedeno and Shannon Byers were both chosen to the 2009 Peach Belt Conference All-Conference volleyball second team. Byers ended the year with a team-best 326 kills. The freshman outside hitter collected double-digit kills in 15 matches. Cedeno led the Pacers in 2009 with 781 assists. The senior setter recorded 40 or more assists in five matches for USC Aiken.

USC Aiken acquired victories over both of the teams who would eventually meet for the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Championship. The Pacers were the only team to beat Flagler in league play as the Pacers downed the Saints, 3-2, at the Convocation Center on Friday, Sept. 18. just one day later, USC Aiken was one of just two teams in the Peach Belt Conference to down the Pirates of Armstrong Atlantic during the regular season, acquiring a 3-1 win over AASU on Saturday, Sept. 19 at the Convocation Center.

The Pacers were ranked as high as No. 3 in the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional rankings. USC Aiken was the second highest ranked Peach Belt Conference squad with Flagler ranked one spot higher than the Pacers in second. Armstrong Atlantic was one spot lower than the Pacers in fourth. The Pacers won eight of 10 games from Sept. 4 through Sept. 19. Flagler would advance all the way to the Final Four of the 2009 NCAA Division II Volleyball Championship.

Four Pacer volleyball players were tabbed to the 2009 Peach Belt Conference Volleyball All-Academic Team. Cedeno and Chelsey Kight were both named to the first team. Whitney Tabbert was named to the second team, while Megan Disney was named to the third team.

Cox managed a very young Pacer squad nicely in the 2008 campaign with the Pacers ending their campaign with a 16-15 record and a third place finish in the Peach Belt Conference Tournament.

The Pacers jumped out to a program-best 4-0 record to begin the 2008 season before continuing their early season success by claiming the crown at the USC Aiken Volleyball Invitational at the Convocation Center. USC Aiken would not be able to maintain the torrid pace down the stretch of Cox's first season at the helm, but nevertheless the Pacers ended the year going in the right direction.

In his six seasons at SCAD, Cox led the Bees to a 141-82 overall record. In his final four seasons, his teams won four-straight Florida Sun Conference championships, won four-straight NAIA Region XIV titles and advanced to the NAIA National Volleyball Championships in Columbia, Mo., four times.

In his final season at SCAD, Cox guided the Bees to a 24-12 record and the 15th seed in the NAIA National Tournament. In 2006, SCAD went 26-13 and was ranked as high as eighth nationally.

Cox claimed the NAIA Region XIV Coach of the Year for his final four seasons.
In the classroom, the Bees earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association/Game Plan Team Academic Award in every season under Cox.

Prior to his time at SCAD, Cox served as the head volleyball coach at Athens Academy in Athens, Ga. His teams won back-to-back undefeated region championships and held an overall record of 69-27 (.719).

Athens Academy finished third in the Georgia High School Association's Class AA/A State Tournament in 2000 and second in the 2001 tournament.

Before becoming a head coach, Cox served two seasons as an assistant coach at Valdosta Sate University, an NCAA Division II institution in Valdosta, Ga.

In his two seasons, the Blazers went 61-15 in recording two third-place finishes in the Gulf South Conference.

Cox had a successful career as a professional beach volleyball player, recording 43 open victories while competing on several national tours.

Cox also has an impressive indoor career as he was a member of the NCAA Division I defending national championship 1992 Long Beach State volleyball team. Just one year earlier in 1991, Cox was a member of the prestigious Olympic Festival team.

He earned a bachelor's degree in exercise science in 1994 and received a master's degree in health and kinesiology in 2000 from Valdosta State University.

Cox and his wife Claudia have three children, Elizabeth, Timothy and Olive.


1st Win At USC Aiken: 8/29/08 vs. Union (Ky.) at Anderson 3-1 Win
50th Win At USC Aiken: 9/10/11 vs. Pfeiffer 3-1 Win
100th Win At USC Aiken: 9/6/14 at Newberry 3-2 Win
150th Win At USC Aiken: 9/9/16 vs. Mount Olive 3-0 Win
200th Win At USC Aiken: 11/10/17 at Lander 3-0 Win
250th Win At USC Aiken: 11/16/19 at Georgia College 3-0 Win
300^th Win At USC Aiken: 9/8/23 vs. Lenoir-Rhyne 3-0 Win