By Levern Johnson (@inkedjournalist) – Spear Reporter
As beach volleyball season kicks off, SJSU welcomed in two new associate head coaches Melissa Batie-Smoose and Gary Hodges.
With over 20 years of coaching experience, coach Batie-Smoose is joining SJSU after spending the last three seasons at Fairfield University in Connecticut.
In just her first season she lead the Stags to a 24-6 record, brought home the 2019 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship title and received an NCAA postseason invite.
She followed up in 2021 by winning MAAC regular season in the fall and spring of 2021, but only won the conference tournament in the fall.
Batie-Smoose will now be joining SJSU after finishing her tenure at Fairfield with a 57-16 record over three years.
Courtesy of SJSU Athletics
Coach Hodges is coming to SJSU with 16 years experience of coaching youth and collegiate volleyball, but most recently spent the last four years coaching the Saint Mary’s Gaels.
As the Gaels’ head coach, Hodges lead them to a third-place West Coast Conference finish in just his first season, earning six of his player All-WCC team honors.
The San Jose State family can catch our two well-experienced coaches, who currently have a recipe for success as SJSU women’s beach volleyball sits undefeated. On March 11 they have a doubleheader in Houston, TX at the Southland midseason tournament.
Courtesy of SJSU Athletics
Batie-Smoose and Hodges will also assist Todd Kress who was hired on Jan. 11 as the head coach of the women’s indoor volleyball team.