Western Nebraska Community College volleyball coach Giovana Melo is the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) West Region Coach of the Year. This is Melo’s third consecutive year of winning the honor and put her in the running for national coach of the year.

The AVCA selects eight coaches from the four regions as finalists for the national coach of the year honor, The national coach of the year will be announced at the AVCA annual convention Dec. 13 in Louisville, Kent.

Melo is in her fifth year as head coach of the WNCC volleyball program and helped lead this year’s team to a 40-3 record and a runner-up finish at the NJCAA national tournament. The Cougars strung together 34 straight wins before falling in the national championship match to the College of Southern Idaho.

Other coaches up for the national honor include Heidi Cartisser of College of Southern Idaho, Sharon Nelson of San Jacinto College, Nabil Mardini of Los Angeles Pierce College, Darin McBroom of Iowa Western Community College, Chip Will of Grand Rapids Community College, Nephtali Delgado Reyes of Monroe College, and Gary Larkin of Hillsborough Community College.

Melo has a 225-17 coaching record at WNCC, including a national title in 2010. Her teams have always finished in the top four at the national tournament.

Melo played for WNCC in 2001 and 2002, earning first team all-American honors her sophomore year. Melo then went on to play at NCAA Division I Arizona State.