Jonathan Paulk enters his second season as North Carolina Central head volleyball coach after a rebuilding year in which the program made significant progress.
In his first season, the Eagles recorded their first 10-win season since 2021 and set a program mark for most non-conference wins in the Division I era including first-time victories over UNC Wilmington and Radford. NCCU recorded seven conference wins for the second time in five seasons, including a four-set triumph over eventual MEAC champion Coppin State. The Eagles, 6-2 at home, displayed their potential in the win, handing Coppin State its only loss in league play.
A program-record four players took home All-MEAC honors under Paulk's direction in 2025. Outside hitter Kamren Harper was a first-team selection while setter Manuela Cripa Nasser and libero Loren Johnson were placed on the second team. Middle hitter/blocker Allyson Rouse was named to the MEAC All-Rookie Team.
Three players reached milestones during Paulk's first season. Harper became the program's Division I career kills leader with 1,172 and is the only Eagle in the Division I era with over 1,000 kills and 500 digs. Johnson is the first NCCU player in the DI era with over 1,000 digs and Cripa Nasser finished second among NCCU Division I setters with a single-season total of 995 assists.
Six Eagles ranked among the MEAC's top 10 in their respective categories under Paulk. Harper led MEAC in kills per set and ranked third in points per set while Tayah Little, Rouse and Leanna Beaty were fourth, fifth and seventh, respectively, in hitting percentage. Cripa Nasser was second in assists per set and Johnson ranked second in digs per set while Rouse was 10th in total blocks and blocks per set.
The North Carolina Central Department of Athletics named Paulk as its new coach on Friday, March 21, 2025. Previously, he was a volleyball assistant at NCCU from 2016-18.
Well-known regionally and nationally in volleyball circles, Paulk returns to NCCU after turning Shaw into a volleyball powerhouse during his five years as head coach. The Lady Bears reached the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Tournament finals each year he led the program, winning conference titles in 2023 and 2024. They were the CIAA regular-season champions four straight seasons from 2021-24, and have been regionally ranked in Division II since November 2022.
"Coach Paulk was the top candidate for the position," said Dr. Louis "Skip" Perkins, NCCU Director of Athletics. "What he did at Shaw was impressive. We are elated to welcome him back to Durham. With his familiarity with the program, along with his coaching and recruiting skills, he has the ability to develop players and elevate our volleyball program."
Shaw raised eyebrows in 2023 when it defeated Wheeling in five sets in the Atlantic Region of the NCAA Div. II Tournament. It marked the first time in history a CIAA team won a match in the Atlantic Region, and the second time a CIAA squad captured an NCAA Tournament victory. The Lady Bears finished unbeaten in the conference (18-0) and tallied a school-record 31 wins that season.
In 2024, the Lady Bears were crowned U.S. Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) national champions, and Paulk was named USCAA National Coach of the Year. They achieved back-to-back 30-win seasons in addition to winning their second consecutive CIAA crown.
Paulk posted a 119-35 overall record and 78-5 conference mark at Shaw. He was named CIAA Volleyball Coach of the Year and AVCA Atlantic Region Coach of the Year in 2023. During his tenure, Shaw produced five setters of the year, two offensive players of the year, one rookie of the year, 27 all-conference performers and four all-rookie players in the CIAA.
Before his historic run at Shaw, Paulk was head volleyball coach at Louisburg from 2018-19. Louisburg finished fourth in the region, an improvement from seventh prior to his arrival. Three players earned all-region honors during Paulk's tenure.
Paulk has been a winning volleyball coach since his college days. He was the president and head coach of the men's club team at N.C. State University, his alma mater. His teams placed fifth and ninth in the nation. Paulk graduated with an accounting degree from N.C. State in 2016.
In addition to his new title at NCCU, Paulk is currently the director and coach at Carolina Advantage Volleyball, a program he founded in 2022.
