UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State men’s volleyball coaching legend Mark Pavlik is a part of the 2026 AVCA Hall of Fame Class, as announced by the organization on Thursday. He is one of four inductees, joining Jenny McDowell (Emory), Candace Moats (Indiana Wesleyan), and Mary Wise (Florida).
Pavlik wrapped up his 32-year career as head coach of Penn State with his final season in 2026. It was another successful campaign as he led the Nittany Lions to their 27th EIVA regular season title and 26th EIVA Tournament title during the time of his leadership. They went on to compete in the NCAA Tournament for the 26th time during the Pavlik era.
The highlight of Pavlik’s time with the Nittany Lions came in 2008, when Penn State won the second National Championship in program history. He was named the AVCA National Coach of the Year and the Volleyball Magazine National Coach of the Year that season. The title-winning team was led by AVCA National Player of the Year Matt Anderson, who went on to be a four-time Olympian and two-time Olympic medalist. Anderson was one of two National Player of the Year award winners coached by Pavlik. The other was Ivan Contreras in 1997. They are the only two EIVA players to earn the award.
Pavlik’s Penn State teams were dominant in the EIVA, racking up 349 wins to just 28 losses. That mark included 19 undefeated seasons in the conference, including four of the final six seasons of Pavlik’s career. He was named the EIVA Coach of the Year 11 times and had at least three players named All-East or All-EIVA every season of his career.
In all, Pavlik tallied 716 wins in his career, which ranks as the third most all-time amongst NCAA men’s volleyball coaches. The total came with an impressive winning percentage of .742. The players he coached also shined at the national level as 35 Nittany Lions combined for 72 All-America honors.
The induction ceremony, which will bring the number of members in the AVCA Hall of Fame to 109, will take place Thursday, Dec. 17, during an awards banquet at the 2026 AVCA Convention in San Antonio, Texas.