(Posted January 18, 2011)

HUNTINGDON, Pa. -- Larry Bock, the only head coach in the history of Juniata College women's volleyball and Juniata's athletics director since 1995, has announced he will be leaving Juniata College to become the new head women's volleyball coach at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., effective immediately.

Navy formally announced Bock's hiring as its new head women's volleyball coach on Tuesday morning.

Heather Pavlik, Juniata's associate head women's volleyball coach, will take over the women's volleyball program on an interim basis. An announcement on interim leadership for the athletics department will be made in the coming days.

"I couldn't be happier for Larry. This is the result of a long and incredibly successful coaching career, and I'm looking forward to following his coaching talent at a new level," said Juniata President Dr. Thomas R. Kepple, Jr. "Larry's obviously been a wonderful coach, a terrific athletic director, and he's going to be very hard to replace."

Bock amassed a record of 1,252 wins against 192 losses over his 34 seasons at the helm of Juniata women's volleyball, a .867 winning percentage. Combined with his six years as Juniata's men's volleyball coach (1990-1995), he has a career coaching record of 1,352-283-4 (.826).

Under Bock's guidance, Juniata won NCAA Division III national championships in 2004 and 2006. Juniata remains the only program to compete in every NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship, reaching the national semifinals 25 times and the championship match on nine occasions.

"I will miss my team, coaching with Heather (Pavlik), and all the coaches who were brave enough to come to Juniata to coach our wonderful athletes," said Bock. "The volleyball team is young, talented and solid with some amazing recruits committed to join the squad this fall. Heather is simply the best coach I know, so I will sleep well knowing the kids are in good hands.

"The department is a strong one and we have talented, dedicated coaches across the board. Juniata's wonderful athletics support staff has allowed me to be both a coach and administrator. I thank them especially. Finally Lyn, my daughters and I will always be indebted to the Juniata administration and community for allowing us to go on this amazing ride for the past 34 years," said Bock.

Bock joined Juniata's athletics department in 1977 as a part-time head coach, while working as a loan officer at a local bank. He joined the Juniata College staff on a full-time basis in 1982 as director of financial aid, and became a full-time coach in 1989 when Juniata added men's volleyball as a varsity sport starting with the Spring 1990 season. He posted a 100-91-4 record over six seasons as men's volleyball coach, stepping aside in 1995 when he was named athletics director.

Bock's coaching honors include:
- Five-time American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division III National Coach of the Year;
- Nine-time AVCA Division III Regional Coach of the Year;
- Member of the inaugural class of the AVCA Hall of Fame (2003);
- Co-head coach of the NCAA's Silver Anniversary Division III Women's Volleyball Team (2006);
- Recipient of the AVCA Founders Award (2000) for service to the sport;
- Recipient of the USA Volleyball Trailblazer Award (2006) and selected as recipient of the USA Volleyball All-Time Great Coaches Award, Contemporary Division (2009); and
- National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Division III Athletic Director of the Year (2005).

Over his 34 seasons, Bock has coaches four AVCA Division III players of the year, 36 players who have earned a combined 65 All-America awards, two NCAA Postgraduate Scholars, and five College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-Americans.

Dozens of his former players and assistants have become collegiate head coaches, including Carli (Dale '05) Lehr, the head women's volleyball coach at Dickinson College; Melissa Myers '98, the head women's volleyball coach at Illinois State; Sue (Gelston '89) Dumars, the head women's volleyball coach at York College of Pennsylvania and a member of the NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Committee; and Katie Charles '05, head women's volleyball coach at Kenyon College. Former assistants in the coaching ranks including Mark Pavlik, head men's volleyball coach at Penn State; and Ryan Patton, head women's volleyball coach at Mercyhurst College.

Bock, a 1971 graduate of Penn State, and his wife, Lyn, are the parents of two grown daughters: Anne, a 1998 graduate of Juniata College, and Laura, a 2009 graduate of Chatham University.

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TRANSACTIONS
Juniata College - Larry Bock resigns as athletics director and head women's volleyball coach. Heather Pavlik named interim head women's volleyball coach.

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