LEXINGTON, Ky. – A key contributor to the success of the USC Upstate volleyball program and its continued growth, assistant coach Justin Sanders earned national recognition for his efforts within the program and volleyball community as he was honored as one of the rising leaders in the sport with an American Volleyball Coaches Association Thirty Under 30 selection.
 
The AVCA's Thirty Under 30 program honors up-and-coming coaches who work hard and are passionate about teaching and helping grow the game of volleyball while serving in a range of roles at all levels of volleyball. With his selection, Sanders joins head coach Ali Skayhan (2023) in earning the prestigious honor.
 
In two seasons at Upstate, Sanders has helped the program to its highest finish in the conference regular season standings in the Division I era (2007-pres.), finishing third in the Big South in 2024 while helping the program to its highest win total under a first-year coaching staff since 1996 with 12 wins in 2023.
 
Both seasons under Sanders' tutelage saw Upstate tie the program's D1 era record for All-Conference honorees in a single season with four Spartans honored in 2023 and 2024, with six total players honored overall. Both seasons also featured four Spartans capturing College Sports Communicators Academic All-District selections, six total players over eight total selections. Upstate also enters the offseason in line for its 12^th AVCA Team Academic Honor Roll distinction.
 
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