CHICAGO, Ill. – North Park University Athletics is proud to welcome Lucas Yanez to the Viking men's and women's volleyball programs. Coach Yanez joins head coach Mike Sopocy's staff as an assistant coach.
"We are very excited to have Lucas join our coaching staff" said Director of Volleyball Operations, Mike Sopocy. "He brings a history of success as well as an extensive knowledge of collegiate volleyball to both the women's and men's programs. I would like to thank President Mary Surridge, Vice Presidents Anthony Scola, Scott Stenmark, and John Born, and the hiring committee for assisting in this process. Welcome to the Viking Volleyball Family, Lucas!"
Prior to joining North Park, Yanez assisted the University of Miami's women's volleyball program from 2018 until this past September. While at Miami, he helped the Canes lead the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in aces per set (1.52) while carrying an overall record of 13-12. Yanez also assisted in developing liberos, defensive specialists, and all floor defenders.
Yanez also helped guide the Benedictine University men's volleyball team to a 21-6 record and a co-conference championship in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) in 2018, where the team totaled a NACC third-best 10.8 digs per set.
Prior to Benedictine, Yanez spent one season as an assistant coach with the Coastal Carolina University women's volleyball team, helping the Chanticleers to a 28-5 record, a first-place finish in the Sun Belt Conference and a second-round appearance in the 2016 NCAA tournament. Along with coaching and skill development, Yanez was heavily involved in recruiting and game strategy.
Yanez began his coaching career at the University of Kansas, serving as the Jayhawks' volunteer coach in 2015. While at Kansas, Yanez primarily worked with the liberos and defensive specialists and helped produce the second-best defense in opponent hitting percentage in the Big 12 and third in digs per set. Kansas went on to a Final Four appearance at the 2015 NCAA Tournament and a 30-3 overall record.
Along with his coaching experience, Yanez amassed numerous accolades as a player at Lewis University. Yanez was named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association's (AVCA) All-America second team, Volleyball Magazine All-America second team and was All-MIVA first team. He tied the record for most digs in an NCAA Championship match with 15 against Loyola.
Yanez graduated from Lewis University in 2015 with a bachelor's degree in sports management and earned All-Academic MIVA Conference recognition in 2014 and 2015.
