Hall of Fame to Welcome Coaches Knipe and Piper as All-Time Greats

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Feb. 9, 2024) – USA Volleyball will celebrate Alan Knipe and Marlene Piper  as All-Time Great Coaches at its 2024 Hall of Fame annual banquet and ceremony on May 22 at the Hilton Polaris in Columbus, Ohio.

Knipe will receive the Donald S. Shondell All-Time Great Coach Award. Piper will receive the Bertha H. Lucas All-Time Great Coach Award.

The Hall of Fame ceremony will take place one day before the 2024 USA Volleyball Open National Championship starts at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. The proceeds from the event will go to the USA Volleyball Foundation to provide funding to support the Olympic & Paralympic dreams of the athletes in USA Volleyball’s national team programs. To purchase tickets and explore sponsorship opportunities, visit 2024 USA Volleyball Hall of Fame.

The All-Time Great Coach Award recognizes coaches with a minimum of 10 years of coaching experience; the ability to develop consistently successful teams, as demonstrated by performances at the state, regional, national and/or international levels; a demonstrated ability to train athletes to their highest potential, and the ability to respond in a professional manner to the successes, pressures and disappointments of competition.

The coach must also have shared their abilities and knowledge to educate peers.

Alan Knipe coached the U.S. Men’s National Team from 2009-12, helping the team win the 2012 World League silver medal. The team also won the 2012 NORCECA Olympic Qualification Tournament to earn its ticket to the London Summer Games, where it won its pool and advanced to the quarterfinals. Knipe has coached his alma mater, Long Beach State, for 18 seasons, winning back-to back NCAA titles in 2018 and ’19.

After a successful collegiate softball career, Marlene Piper turned to volleyball, which she also played after college. She coached at Portland State, Cal, UC Davis and Willamette. At Willamette, Piper amassed a record of 146-83 and was named Northwest Conference Coach of the Year three times. Piper is credited with developing the Portland State volleyball program and her teams never missed the playoffs in her 15 years as its coach.

USA Volleyball will announce more 2024 award winners soon.