One of the EIVA’s cornerstones will now be associated with the conference’s top new star.
Starting with the 2025 season, the EIVA will recognize its best newcomer as the G.T. Tait Memorial Freshman of the Year.
The award, given to the conference’s top player who is in his first collegiate season on the court, had previously been known simply as the Newcomer or Freshman of the Year. It joins the conference’s other two top individual season awards with a nod to EIVA history, following the Uvaldo Acosta Memorial Player of the Year and Bob Sweeney Memorial Coach of the Year. The change was approved unanimously by conference coaches at their annual meeting earlier this week at NJIT.
Princeton’s Tristan Whitfield was the 2024 Freshman of the Year at the end of the regular season.
The award is named for Tom Tait, who has often been referred to as the “Father of Penn State Volleyball.” He was the first head coach of both the Nittany Lion men’s and women’s programs, shepherding the women’s team mto varsity status in 1976 and the men in 1977.
Tait, who passed away Jan. 11, 2024, at age 86, set a standard of consistency for both programs, each of which have had just three coaches in their history. He led the PSU men to a 336-97 record over 12 seasons, earning eight ECVL or EIVA titles and six NCAA postseason appearances. He was named the conference Coach of the Year five times and was the Volleyball Monthly National Coach of the Year in 1986.
During three seasons leading the Nittany Lion women, he amassed a 51-43-4 mark, with 20-plus wins in the final two years. His contributions in building the sport were recognized as part of the EIVA’s first Hall of Fame class in 2012 and induction into the AVCA Hall of Fame in 2003. He was named an All-Time Great Coach by USA Volleyball in 2007 and earned EIVA Coach Emeritus status in 1990.
During the coaches’ annual year-end conference, the 2025 season calendar also was approved, with the final day of the regular season April 19. First-round matches will be played April 23, the semifinals will be April 24 and the championship match will be played April 26. All matches will be hosted by the regular-season champion and No. 1 seed.
The coaches' group, now with seven members after Sacred Heart rejoined the conference, welcomed two newcomers. Adam Niemczynowicz just completed his second season as the Pioneers' head coach as his team played in the NEC, and Robert Poole was recently named head coach at Charleston after previously serving as an Eagle assistant. He takes over the program from Luke Reynolds, who stepped down in late April.