Keyonna Morrow

Keyonna Morrow, who leads the OPSU Housing Office, has been awarded the 2024 American Volleyball Coaches Association’s Diversity Award, an honor recognizing her dedication to diversity within athletics. This honor comes full circle for Morrow, who spent five years coaching club and school volleyball in Kentucky—a connection made even more meaningful by this year’s convention location in Kentucky.

“Receiving this award means a lot to me. I live for any opportunity to learn from others, and it’s so nice to get recognized for staying on the scene and being as involved as I can be with the game I love,” stated Morrow. “To be with other leaders that look like me, who work with students looking for mentors on and off the court—representation matters. It’s an honor that I don’t take lightly.”

Morrow joined OPSU as an Assistant Volleyball Coach, later transitioning to lead Housing Director, where she has leveraged her background in coaching to foster community and support students in their organizational skills. “Organization, organization, organization! I love a good spreadsheet,” she said, laughing. “Both in housing and working with athletes, I can help students develop their own organization skills, and it’s also helped me build relationships with student-athletes on campus so that I could become a trusted resource for them.”

In her time as Housing Director, Morrow has led initiatives that encourage inclusivity and safety within campus housing, aligning with OPSU’s mission to provide a welcoming home for students. Her hands-on, organized approach continues to make a positive difference, and her connections to the volleyball world keep her close to the game she loves.

Dean of Student Affairs Laura Hutchinson stated, “Keyonna has a deep sense of purpose and commitment to equity in both her sport and life. I love that she’s kept a foot in the volleyball world while also taking care of all our students’ needs in housing and beyond, whether responding to a crisis or managing the daunting task of assignments. I am so proud she’s being recognized for her values and dedication to her sport.”

“The Diversity Awards program demonstrates the Development Team’s commitment to advancing equity and inclusion in our sport as well as our community,” said Nickie Sanlin, McKendree University head men’s volleyball coach and chair of the AVCA Diversity Development Team through the end of 2024. “We are grateful for the contributions of many generous supporters—from universities and industry partners to individual coaches—who continue to assist with our efforts to advance the sport of volleyball.”

The Diversity Award program is a key component of the AVCA Diversity Development Team’s efforts to advance the sport and continue to move forward with initiatives that lead to substantive change for society and the volleyball community. Including this year’s 33 members, the total number of coaches who have received this honor is 184.

This year’s AVCA Convention, to be held Dec. 18–22, will feature over 140 educational sessions, a Volleyball Marketplace, and activities such as a silent auction that raises funds for the AVCA Diversity Awards program.