Samantha Shomo ‘11, a co-captain during her time as a member of the Western New England University volleyball team, returned to her alma mater as the seventh head coach in program history on July 29, 2016.
Shomo led Western New England to a successful 2016 campaign, as the Golden Bears went 21-10 (7-2 CCC) and earned the third seed in the CCC Tournament before reaching the championship match for the first time since 2009. Western New England posted an impressive 12-3 record at home and put together a pair of six-match winning streaks over the course of the season. Three of Shomo’s student-athletes earned All-CCC recognition, including a first team selection in junior middle hitter Carly Skibinski.
Shomo returned to Western New England following five seasons as head coach of the Anna Maria College volleyball program, a stint in which she helped the AMCATS establish team records for wins each year from 2013-15. Under Shomo’s leadership, Anna Maria made its first ever postseason appearance in 2014, before posting a 17-16 record last fall for the first winning season in program history. She left as the program’s all-time wins leader with 47 victories.
Shomo also served as Anna Maria’s Senior Woman Administrator (SWA) during her time in Paxton. In this role, she was responsible for monitoring the academic progress of student-athletes, advising the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and aiding in the organization and execution of SAAC-sponsored events, as well as assisting the athletic director in the daily operation of the department.
The Glen Gardner, N.J. native graduated summa cum laude from Western New England in 2011, earning her bachelor of arts degree in psychology with a minor in education. She went on to receive her master’s degree in education from Anna Maria in 2015.
A four-year member of the Western New England volleyball team, Shomo served as a team co-captain during her senior season in 2010 and was named to the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) All-Academic Team.
“Firstly, I would like to thank Coach Theulen and the rest of the Western New England administration for this opportunity,” Shomo said. “I am thrilled and honored to return to my alma mater as the program’s next head coach. Western New England volleyball has always had a special place in my heart, and I look forward to continuing its tradition of excellence.”