New Partnership With Sheraton

La Verne volleyball coach has been named AVCA West Region Coach of the Year for the 2008 season.  It is the fourth time that Flora has received AVCA West Region Coach of the Year honors during his tenure with the Leopards. 

Under the direction of Flora, La Verne finished the 2008 season with a 23-2 overall record, a perfect 14-0 record in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and a No. 4 national ranking in the Bison/AVCA Division III Coaches Top 25 Poll. Additionally this season, Flora led his team to its ninth-straight conference championship, while only dropping two sets in conference play along the way.

The Leopards currently have a 28-game win streak in the SCIAC, which ranks as the second longest streak in league history behind their own 56-match win streak set between 2001 and 2005. Flora’s Leopards are making their ninth-straight appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament, serving as host for the NCAA West Regional this weekend, where they earned a first-round bye and will face the winner of the Pacific Lutheran and Nebraska Wesleyan match.

Flora, who has been at the helm of La Verne for 11 seasons, has led his team to the West Region title four times, the NCAA Championship semifinals four times and an NCAA Division III title in 2001. His career mark now stands at 265-58. This is the fourth time Flora has earned AVCA Division III West Region Coach of the Year honors. He also received the award in 2001, 2003 and 2006.