Nancy Somera joins the Roger Williams Volleyball Staff as assistant an coach with more than 20 years of playing and coaching experience at the NCAA Division I level. She returns to the collegiate volleyball part-time as she is also the Managing Editor for the Boston based publication, Natural Awakenings Magazine.
As a collegiate head coach at Oregon State and the University of South Carolina, her teams have been known for their defensive prowess and competitive spirit. In 15 years of NCAA Division I coaching, Somera was involved with training and mentoring 11 All-Americans and 21 all conference award winners in two of the strongest leagues in the country. Somera was an assistant coach at Golden West College in Huntington Beach, Calif., in 1990 before returning to her alma mater to join the volleyball staff at the University of Southern California staff. In her one season, GWC won the state championship.
Formerly Nancy Hillman, Somera was a four-year starter for Southern California from 1985 to 1988 and was a member of the 1985 Final Four team. She was an All-Pac-10 selection in 1987 and 1988, and was a three-year team captain that never missed a match due to injury or illness. During her four years as a player, the Glendale, Calif., native set five single-season and five career records making her one of the most productive outside hitters in school programs history. Somera is still ranked among the top 10 in Southern California's career records for kills, kills per game, attacks, digs, digs per game, service aces and service aces per game.
During her senior season, Somera was awarded the Pac-10 Conference Gold Medal, which is given to one athlete in each sport who best demonstrates the qualities of leadership and outstanding scholastic achievement. She was also a four-year Scholar-Athlete Award honoree. In 1990, she was named to Southern California's All-Decade Team.
Somera graduated in 1989 with a Bachelor of Arts in journalism/broadcasting, and in 1994, she earned her master's degree in education from Southern California.
