(Posted July 22, 2002)

Huntingdon, PA -- Ken Shibuya has been named the head coach of the Juniata College men's volleyball program according to Director of Athletics Larry Bock. Shibuya takes over a program that was guided by Ryan Patton '94 for the past six years. Patton resigned from his post as the men's volleyball mentor on College Hill in May and wrapped up his tenure on June 30. Shibuya comes to Juniata from Christopher Newport University after spending four years as the mentor of the Division III women's volleyball program.

"We are very excited to have someone of Ken's caliber joining our staff and taking over the men's volleyball program," said Bock. "He becomes the first men's volleyball coach at Juniata, who is not a former coach here or an alum, and we feel like we have found the right person to guide our men's volleyball team. He brings with him a wealth of experience at a high level of competition, including Division III."

In four seasons in charge of the Lady Captains, Shibuya set the school record for career wins by a volleyball coach with 77. His Christopher Newport tenure ends with a 24-11 overall record last fall, which included an undefeated Dixie Conference championship season and a berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament for the first time in school history. Shibuya took over the program in August of 1998, just days before the start of the season and without even enough players to field a team. He guided a very young squad (featuring five freshman) to a first-year record of 7-26. Just a year later the Lady Captains posted a 20-13 record, the second best mark in school history, and finished third in the Dixie Conference. For his efforts he was named the Dixie Conference Coach of the Year. The next season Christopher Newport was even better with a 26-9 record. Overall, his teams went 77-59 (.566) and 29-21 in the Dixie Conference (.580). Christopher Newport was an impressive 50-20 (.714) over Shibuya's last two years and he was twice honored as the Dixie Conference Coach of the Year.

Before his tenure at Christopher Newport, Shibuya was assistant volleyball coach at the University of Virginia and also served as head coach at Sweet Briar College.

While at Virginia, Shibuya helped recruit the school's first Volleyball Magazine "Fab 50" player. At the same time, Shibuya was instrumental in starting the first-ever club team for men's volleyball at the school. He led his team to a number-three ranking and a spot in the semifinals at the 1996 national club championship.

As head coach at Sweet Briar, Shibuya lifted the program to its most successful level ever. His team set the school mark for consecutive wins and Shibuya also coached the program's first Old Dominion Athletic Conference first-team all-star.

Shibuya's resume also includes four years as the Tidewater Junior Olympic boys 18 and under squad coach. His teams, over that period of time, have been consistently among the best in the East and have taken Top 10 rankings into the 1998 and 1999 U.S. Junior National Championships. Four of his players were named to Volleyball Magazine's "Fab 50" and two of those were selected to the 1998 U.S. Junior National 20-and-under and U.S. Youth National 18-and-under teams. His players were the only athletes from the East to compete on those teams.

Shibuya is a 1993 graduate of the University of Virginia with a bachelor of arts degree in East Asian Studies.

Juniata, which prior to Patton was guided by Larry Bock from 1990-95 (women's coach at Juniata since 1977) and Dennis Hohenshelt '93 in 1996, is coming off an overall record of 9-14 this past season, including a 5-9 mark in the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) Tait Division. The Eagles made an appearance in the EIVA Division I playoffs for the sixth straight year.

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Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.