Bio

Samantha Shomo ‘11, a co-captain during her time as a member of the Western New England University volleyball team, returned to her alma mater as the seventh head coach in program history on July 29, 2016. Shomo finished her sixth season as Head Coach in 2022. 

Shomo reached the semifinal round of the CCC Tournament in 2022 after the six seeded Golden Bears, under the guidance of Shomo, upset the three seeded Fighting Scots of Gordon College on the road. WNE opened the 2022 campaign with a 4-0 record, with wins over Elms College, Framingham State University (twice), and UMass-Dartmouth. At the end of the season, Sarah Scott was awarded with All-CCC Second Team honors.

During her first five years in charge, the Golden Bears have posted a record of 60-64 (.483) with a 17-17 (.500) mark in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) play. Nine of Shomo's student-athletes have received All-CCC recognition, including junior Ashley Matthews last fall.

In 2019, Western New England went 12-18 (2-6 CCC) and earned the seventh seed in the CCC Tournament. Two Golden Bears earned All-CCC honors. 

Western New England went 16-14 (5-4 CCC) in 2017 and earned the fifth seed in the CCC Tournament. Three Golden Bears earned All-CCC honors, while Sam Heffer was named the CCC Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year. 

Shomo led Western New England to a successful 2016 campaign, as the Golden Bears went 21-10 (7-2 CCC) and earned the third seed in the CCC Tournament before reaching the championship match for the first time since 2009. Western New England posted an impressive 12-3 record at home and put together a pair of six-match winning streaks over the course of the season. Three of Shomo's student-athletes earned All-CCC recognition, including a first team selection in junior middle hitter Carly Skibinski. 

Shomo returned to Western New England following five seasons as head coach of the Anna Maria College volleyball program, a stint in which she helped the AMCATS establish team records for wins each year from 2013-15. Under Shomo’s leadership, Anna Maria made its first ever postseason appearance in 2014, before posting a 17-16 record last fall for the first winning season in program history. She left as the program’s all-time wins leader with 47 victories.

“We are extremely pleased to add Samantha Shomo to our talented coaching staff,” former Director of Athletics Dr. Mike Theulen said. “Already a member of our athletic family as a former Golden Bear volleyball standout, Sam returns to us as a seasoned coach who has an impressive resume of program building both on and off the court.

“The breadth and depth of her professional experiences, coupled with her intimate knowledge of the Western New England Way, make her a great fit for our women’s volleyball program at this point in time. As proud as I am of Sam’s accomplishments as a student-athlete leader here, I am equally as proud of her accomplishments as a talented young professional.”

Shomo also served as Anna Maria’s Senior Woman Administrator (SWA) during her time in Paxton. In this role, she was responsible for monitoring the academic progress of student-athletes, advising the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and aiding in the organization and execution of SAAC-sponsored events, as well as assisting the athletic director in the daily operation of the department.

The Glen Gardner, N.J. native graduated summa cum laude from Western New England in 2011, earning her bachelor of arts degree in psychology with a minor in education. She went on to receive her master’s degree in education from Anna Maria in 2015.

A four-year member of the Western New England volleyball team, Shomo served as a team co-captain during her senior season in 2010 and was named to the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) All-Academic Team.

“Firstly, I would like to thank Coach Theulen and the rest of the Western New England administration for this opportunity,” Shomo said. “I am thrilled and honored to return to my alma mater as the program’s next head coach. Western New England volleyball has always had a special place in my heart, and I look forward to continuing its tradition of excellence.”