Mercer Tabs Benson As Next Volleyball Head Coach
4/28/2025 5:15:00 PM | Volleyball
MACON – Athletics department officials at Mercer University announced Monday evening that 23-year collegiate coaching veteran Steve Benson has been named as the volleyball program's 14th head coach.
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Benson, who spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons at Presbyterian, has coaching stops at four other collegiate institutions as well. He has compiled nearly 350 victories in 19 years as a head coach of both men's and women's volleyball programs.
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"We are excited to welcome Steve and his wife, Aimee, to the Mercer family," said Mercer Director of Athletics Jim Cole. "Steve's background of developing high-level student-athletes, both on the court and inside the classroom, made him an ideal choice to be the next leader of our program. His passion for the sport is extremely evident, and we are looking forward to the development and growth of the Mercer volleyball program under his watch."
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Benson mentored five all-league standouts over the last two seasons at the helm of the Presbyterian program, while also pacing the Blue Hose to 19 victories and two appearances in the Big South Conference Tournament. Presbyterian showcased one of the Big South Conference's top blocking teams in each of Benson's two seasons in Clinton, S.C., and boasted two of the league's top hitting percentage leaders amid the 2024 campaign as well.
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The Blue Hose were overachievers in the classroom as well. PC sent nine student-athletes to Collegge Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District laurels across the 2023 and 2024 campaigns, while also hauling in both American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award and Team Academic Honor Roll status after posting a 3.65 team grade point average during the 2023-24 academic year.
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"I am extremely excited for this opportunity to continue to build on the success of the Mercer volleyball program. I want to thank President Bill Underwood, Athletics Director Jim Cole and Deputy Athletics Director Daniel Tate for their trust and faith in my abilities as a leader," Benson said. "My wife, Aimee, and I are thrilled to become a part of the Mercer and local communities."
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Prior to making the move to Presbyterian, Benson served seven seasons (2017-23) as the head coach of the men's volleyball team at nearby Limestone and led the regional powerhouse to six winning seasons and nearly 100 victories before the program was discontinued following a 16-12 clip in 2023. Limestone racked up 10 all-conference and a trio of all-conference tournament laurels under Benson's watch, as well as two CSC Academic All-America honors.
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Benson was a constant on the USA Volleyball youth circuits in the state of Florida before making his entrance into the collegiate coaching world as an assistant coach at Lake Sumter State prior to the 2000 campaign. He would later serve a two-year stint (2003-04) as head coach of the Lakehawks and skippered the junior college program to 22 victories in his first year.
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The enthusiastic mentor also compiled 144 victories in six seasons (2005-10) as both the men's and women's volleyball head coach at Eastern Mennonite in Lancaster, Pa. Benson led the men's program to a program record 22 victories in just his second season with the program, as well as a pair of appearances in the conference championship game. He also served as head coach of the men's volleyball program at Warner (2014-16), compiling a 64-22 mark and leading the Royals to three-straight appearances in the NAIA semifinals.
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Benson stepped out of the collegiate coaching in 2011 to serve as the sport development manager for USA Volleyball (Florida region) and was instrumental in pacing the organization to seven medals in three years (2011-13) at the only international boys and girls tournament in the United States. He overlapped that experience with a 5-year stint (2012-16) as the head coach of the Florida Wave professional organization, leading the 2013 squad to the 85th US Open Tournament championship.
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A native of Bellingham, Wash., Benson earned his bachelor's degree in physical education (K-12) from North Park in 1993 and completed his graduate work in education at Troy in 2004.
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Benson, who spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons at Presbyterian, has coaching stops at four other collegiate institutions as well. He has compiled nearly 350 victories in 19 years as a head coach of both men's and women's volleyball programs.
Â
"We are excited to welcome Steve and his wife, Aimee, to the Mercer family," said Mercer Director of Athletics Jim Cole. "Steve's background of developing high-level student-athletes, both on the court and inside the classroom, made him an ideal choice to be the next leader of our program. His passion for the sport is extremely evident, and we are looking forward to the development and growth of the Mercer volleyball program under his watch."
Â
Benson mentored five all-league standouts over the last two seasons at the helm of the Presbyterian program, while also pacing the Blue Hose to 19 victories and two appearances in the Big South Conference Tournament. Presbyterian showcased one of the Big South Conference's top blocking teams in each of Benson's two seasons in Clinton, S.C., and boasted two of the league's top hitting percentage leaders amid the 2024 campaign as well.
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The Blue Hose were overachievers in the classroom as well. PC sent nine student-athletes to Collegge Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District laurels across the 2023 and 2024 campaigns, while also hauling in both American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award and Team Academic Honor Roll status after posting a 3.65 team grade point average during the 2023-24 academic year.
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"I am extremely excited for this opportunity to continue to build on the success of the Mercer volleyball program. I want to thank President Bill Underwood, Athletics Director Jim Cole and Deputy Athletics Director Daniel Tate for their trust and faith in my abilities as a leader," Benson said. "My wife, Aimee, and I are thrilled to become a part of the Mercer and local communities."
Â
Prior to making the move to Presbyterian, Benson served seven seasons (2017-23) as the head coach of the men's volleyball team at nearby Limestone and led the regional powerhouse to six winning seasons and nearly 100 victories before the program was discontinued following a 16-12 clip in 2023. Limestone racked up 10 all-conference and a trio of all-conference tournament laurels under Benson's watch, as well as two CSC Academic All-America honors.
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Benson was a constant on the USA Volleyball youth circuits in the state of Florida before making his entrance into the collegiate coaching world as an assistant coach at Lake Sumter State prior to the 2000 campaign. He would later serve a two-year stint (2003-04) as head coach of the Lakehawks and skippered the junior college program to 22 victories in his first year.
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The enthusiastic mentor also compiled 144 victories in six seasons (2005-10) as both the men's and women's volleyball head coach at Eastern Mennonite in Lancaster, Pa. Benson led the men's program to a program record 22 victories in just his second season with the program, as well as a pair of appearances in the conference championship game. He also served as head coach of the men's volleyball program at Warner (2014-16), compiling a 64-22 mark and leading the Royals to three-straight appearances in the NAIA semifinals.
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Benson stepped out of the collegiate coaching in 2011 to serve as the sport development manager for USA Volleyball (Florida region) and was instrumental in pacing the organization to seven medals in three years (2011-13) at the only international boys and girls tournament in the United States. He overlapped that experience with a 5-year stint (2012-16) as the head coach of the Florida Wave professional organization, leading the 2013 squad to the 85th US Open Tournament championship.
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A native of Bellingham, Wash., Benson earned his bachelor's degree in physical education (K-12) from North Park in 1993 and completed his graduate work in education at Troy in 2004.
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