Coach Lauren Shears enters her fourth season at Ramapo College as assistant coach, after enjoying a stellar career at William Paterson University, where she set numerous school records.
Her many accomplishments in the sport include being named a four-time All-NJAC First Team selection, and one of 24 Division III players to accumulate 2,000 kills in a career. Shears set a school record with 2,160 kills and 1,557 digs. Ranked eighth nationally for kills per game, Shears led the Pioneers in kills for four seasons, and earned NJAC Player of the week honors eight times.
A 2006 graduate of William Paterson University, Shears received a B.A. in Communication and in Sociology. Shears earned several accolades for her classroom exploits in addition to her talents as an outside hitter. She was a member of the first graduating class of the Social Sciences Track in the University’s Honors College and received the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award.
Shears, is no stranger to the coaching scene—in 2009 she will enter her seventh season as a USA Volleyball IMPACT certified head coach for North Jersey Volleyball Club where she has coached several winning teams in the U14, U15, and U16 age brackets to GEVA Regional Tournament Championship Wins. Coach Shears conducts the winter volleyball clinic at her alma mater, Montclair High School and assists with various clinics at Montclair Kimberly High School.
In August 2009, Coach Shears was selected one of 10 panelists from across the United States to participate in the Black Women In Sport Foundation’s (BWSF) discussion on women of color in administration and coaching, hosted by Rutgers University. The panel explored the issues and focused on grassroots efforts and feasible intermediate steps to increase women of color in college sports.
The Montclair native currently works as a Public Information Officer for the County of Essex and is pursuing her master degree.
10-11 Season
