Toby Rens began his first season as the head coach of the Georgetown University volleyball team in 2018. In 20 years as a head coach, he has posted 395 career victories and made six NCAA Tournament appearances.
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In his first season on the Hilltop, Rens led the Hoyas to a 17-13 overall record and 10-8 in mark in BIG EAST play to tie for fourth place in the league standings. Georgetown’s 17 wins were the most since 2004 and the 10 conference wins were the most since 2001. Under his tutelage, Symone Speech and Alyssa Sinnette collected All-BIG EAST accolades, the first Hoyas to earn multiple all-league nods since 2002 while Kenzie Higareda set the Georgetown record for career digs.
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During his 20-year head coaching career, Rens served at Northern Michigan, Maryland Eastern Shore, LIU-Brooklyn, Pittsburgh and Chicago State prior to his time in the Nation’s Capital. He was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2002 and 2017 while at UMES as well as the Northeast Conference Coach of the Year in 2005 with the Blackbirds.
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Most recently, Rens spent four seasons at Maryland Eastern Shore, his second-career stint with the Hawks. He led the Shore to a 27-9 overall record, including an undefeated 12-0 mark in MEAC play, and an appearance in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship. The Hawks led the NCAA in aces per set in 2017 and ranked in the top 25 for opponent hitting percentage and team hitting percentage, as we as 38th in winning percentage. During his time in Princess Anne, he averaged nearly 20 wins a season.
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Prior to the Shore, Rens was the head coach at Chicago State during the 2013 season.
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No stranger to the BIG EAST, Rens was the head coach at former league member Pittsburgh from 2008-12. While at Pitt, he turned around a losing program to five appearances in the BIG EAST Tournament and winning seasons in four of his five campaigns with the Panthers.
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Rens has also spent time as an assistant at his alma mater, Morningside College, Tennessee Tech and Texas Tech as well as at nearby George Washington from 1994-98.
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Under his tutelage, nine players have garnered American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America accolades and Rens has been highly active in national volleyball circles, serving as a member of the NCAA Division I Head Coaches Committee and as a voter in the USA Today and the AVCA's Top 25 Coaches Poll.
A native of Orange City, Iowa, Rens graduated from Morningside in 1993 with a bachelor's in physical education.
Collegiate Head Coaching Record: Toby Rens
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| Year |
School |
Record |
Conf. |
Postseason |
| 1998 |
Northern Michigan |
30-6 |
19-0 |
NCAA Tournament (DII) |
| 1999 |
Northern Michigan |
28-11 |
17-2 |
NCAA Tournament (DII) |
| 2001 |
Maryland Eastern Shore |
3-28 |
2-13 |
|
| 2002 |
Maryland Eastern Shore |
20-15 |
7-3 |
MEAC Tournament
MEAC Coach of the Year |
| 2003 |
Maryland Eastern Shore |
26-12 |
9-1 |
MEAC Northern Division Champion |
| 2004 |
LIU-Brooklyn |
32-7 |
7-1 |
NCAA Tournament |
| 2005 |
LIU-Brooklyn |
26-14 |
8-0 |
NCAA Tournament
NEC Coach of the Year |
| 2006 |
LIU-Brooklyn |
25-11 |
8-0 |
NCAA Tournament |
| 2007 |
LIU-Brooklyn |
23-14 |
8-0 |
NCAA Tournament |
| 2008 |
Pittsburgh |
17-14 |
8-6 |
BIG EAST Tournament |
| 2009 |
Pittsburgh |
20-11 |
12-2 |
BIG EAST Tournament |
| 2010 |
Pittsburgh |
13-18 |
7-7 |
BIG EAST Tournament |
| 2011 |
Pittsburgh |
18-15 |
7-7 |
BIG EAST Tournament |
| 2012 |
Pittsburgh |
17-14 |
7-8 |
BIG EAST Tournament |
| 2013 |
Chicago State |
2-29 |
0-16 |
|
| 2014 |
Maryland Eastern Shore |
11-18 |
4-8 |
|
| 2015 |
Maryland Eastern Shore |
22-7 |
9-3 |
MEAC Tournament |
| 2016 |
Maryland Eastern Shore |
18-13 |
10-2 |
MEAC Semifinals |
| 2017 |
Maryland Eastern Shore |
27-9 |
12-0 |
NIVC First Round
MEAC Northern Division Champion
MEAC Coach of the Year |
| 2018Â Â |
Georgetown |
17-13 |
10-8 |
|
| Overall |
|
395-279 |
171-87 |
|
