College notebook: Derry gets NAIA coaching job, Alleyne earns All-MIVA honors, QU grad gets jersey retired at SIU

AUGUSTA, Ill. — Emma Derry is taking her talents to the college game.

The Southeastern graduate spent the past two years as the head volleyball coach at Lincoln High School, guiding the Railers to a 30-win season, a regional championship and a second-place finish in the Apollo Conference last fall.

The success earned her the chance to become the head women’s volleyball coach at Brescia University, an NAIA school located in Owensboro, Ky. She recently was introduced as the Bearcats coach, taking over a program that went 3-19 last fall but is just three seasons removed from a first-place finish in the River States Conference.

Derry enjoyed a stellar two seasons as Southeastern’s setter, guiding the Suns to a 68-6 combined record in 2014 and 2015 while dishing out more than 1,500 career assists.

She played two seasons at Carl Sandburg College and two seasons at Lincoln College, where she helped the Lynx qualify for the NAIA national tournament in 2019 as a senior. She earned a master’s degree from Illinois State University.

Alleyne earns first-team All-MIVA for Hawks

QUINCY — Quincy University sophomore outside hitter Raje Alleyne earned first-team All-Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association honors as one of the league’s top attackers and presences at the net.

Alleyne, a native of Bridgetown, Barbados, led the MIVA in kills per set (4.29) and solo blocks (20). He also ranked third in the nation for both kills per set and points per set (5.01). Alleyne finished the season fourth in program history for kills in a season with 393 and racked up 55 blocks and 30 aces.

The Hawks ended the regular season with an 8-18 record and a 1-13 mark in the MIVA, snapping a 26-match MIVA losing streak in the process. The Hawks lost in straight sets to top-seeded Ball State in the MIVA Tournament.

SIU retires jersey of QU graduate Callahan

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois University retired the No. 37 jersey of long-time baseball coach Dan Callahan, who is a Quincy University graduate, during a ceremony last weekend before a game against Evansville at Itchy Jones Stadium.

Callahan, who died in 2010 at the age of 52 following a battle with a rare form of skin cancer, compiled a 442-447-1 record in 16 seasons as the Salukis coach, retiring as the second winningest coach in program history. His No. 37 has not been worn since his passing.

A native of Springfield who pitched the Senators to a state semifinal appearance in 1975, Callahan signed with the University of New Orleans before transferring to Quincy. He pitched two seasons for the Hawks, graduating in 1981.

Callahan spent one season pitching in the San Diego Padres organization and another in the Seattle Mariners organization before turning his attention to coaching.

He started as a high school coach in Springfield, guiding the Senators to a second-place finish at the Class AA state tournament in 1985 before joining Itch Jones’ staff at SIU. In 1989, he began a five-year tenure as the head coach at Eastern Illinois University before replacing Jones as the head coach at SIU in 1994.

In 22 seasons as a collegiate head coach, Callahan amassed a 595-605-2 record. 

Powers resigns as C-SC men’s soccer coach

CANTON, Mo. — Nic Powers resigned as the Culver-Stockton College men’s soccer coach after one season at the helm to pursue opportunities coaching at the NCAA Division I level.

The Wildcats went 5-11-2 overall and 1-9-2 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference last fall, finishing 12th in the 13-team league.

“We are disappointed that Coach Powers is leaving after one season, but we understand the draw for him to work at the Division I level,” C-SC athletic director Pat Atwell said in a statement. “He was not actively looking but was approached with this opportunity and felt that it was in his best interests.

“We will work diligently to find the right coach to lead our men’s soccer program in the highly competitive Heart of America Conference and that search will begin immediately.”