2016 NCAA Tournament First Round
2016 SoCon Tournament Championship
In his second season on staff at Samford University, Ben Sabin has already proven to be a key cog in the Bulldogs’ volleyball program that earned an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2016.
Last year, Samford finished the campaign with a 21-14 overall record and a 9-7 mark in Southern Conference play. The Bulldogs claimed the championship title of the SoCon Tournament and squared off against No. 4-ranked Kansas in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
In Sabin’s first season on staff, Samford proved to be dominant at home last year and compiled a 14-3 record when competing on campus. The Bulldogs hosted the 2016 SoCon Tournament in the Pete Hanna Center and rallied for three straight victories against Wofford, 3-0, ETSU, 3-0, and Chattanooga, 3-1, en route to the championship title.
Samford closed out its 2016 campaign with 21 wins, a total that ranks tied for fifth all-time in school history. The Bulldogs also concluded the 2016 campaign as the 10th-ranked squad in the nation in team kills (1,693) and No. 14 in the country in team assists (1,570).
In 2016, All-SoCon performer, Erin Bognar, set the school’s single-season record in kills (553). She also finished the year ranked No. 10 in the nation in total kills (542), 12th in points (580), 13th in total attacks (1,399) and 17th in kills per set (4.48).
Sabin worked his way to Samford after spending a season as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the Dust Devils at Texas A&M International University in Laredo, Texas. He worked directly with training the setters while he also focused on working with the outside attackers and the team's serve receive.
While there, Sabin was also in charge of scouting upcoming opponents and making the team's travel arrangements. He also broke down film through the implementation of the Data Volley program.
Prior to his stint at Texas A&M International, Sabin spent two years as the Director of Volleyball Operations at Ball State University. His main duties included the scouting of opponents and organizing the team's travel.
Sabin began his coaching career in 2009 as the head coach for the boys' varsity team at Wapahani High School in Selma, Ind. His career at Wapahani included over 110 wins, nine all-star nominations, a pair of all-state nominations and five consecutive years of being in the top 10 of the IBVCA Coaches Poll.
Sabin’s 2012 team earned a spot in the state finals, while the 2014 team earned a third-place ranking in the state.
He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in industrial technology and business from Ball State in 2012 and completed his Masters of Arts in sports administration in 2015.
