CARBONDALE, Ill. – Southern Illinois Women’s Volleyball announced the hiring of Aleah Hayes to its 2025 coaching staff Monday.
The Ozark, Mo., native spent the last six seasons as the head coach of Trinity Valley Community College in Athens, Texas, where she compiled a record of 142-74. Her final three seasons at the college featured three straight appearances in the NJCAA tournament.
The 2024 season saw the Cardinals make the tournament via an at-large bid, and the team finished ranked No. 11 in the final NJCAA poll. Hayes led the program to its highest win total in 2023, going 32-7 en route to its second-straight Region XIV conference tournament championship and appearance in the NJCAA tournament. 2022 set the tone for the later success, with Hayes’ squad earning the Cardinals’ first-ever Region XIV Conference and Tournament championships. The team went 16-0 in conference play and finished eighth at the national tournament in West Plains, Mo.
Prior to Trinity Valley, Hayes held assistant coaching positions at Columbia College (Mo.) and Evangel University (Mo.). She also spent two seasons as a graduate assistant at Columbia College, where she finished her final two years of undergrad as a member of its volleyball team. She was elected to the Columbia College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2024.
“I am extremely excited and grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the SIU Volleyball Staff under Brittany’s leadership,” Hayes said. “Our conversations about the team and program have been so positive and I am ready to get in the gym and work alongside Brittany and the team.”
Hayes continued, “I appreciate the support I already feel from the athletic department and looking forward to being a Dawg.”
She earned Region XIV, Midsouth District, AVCA Southwest Region and VolleyMag 2 Year College Coach of the Year honors in 2022 after TVCC’s historic season.
Hayes was a member of the Academic All-Conference teams each season of her playing career, two at Columbia College and two at Texas Tech.
