top of page

Coaching Staff

Derek Schroeder was named Mercer’s head indoor and beach volleyball coach on July 25, 2017. He is the 12th head coach in Mercer indoor volleyball history and the second in Mercer beach volleyball history. He continues his indoor volleyball coaching with a 234-144 career record, including a 65-58 Mercer record. With the 12 wins in the 2021 season, his winning percentage improves to a .615%.

In the 2021 season, Dex Schroeder continued his streak of success, tallying a 12-4 SoCon record, and earning back-to-back SoCon Regular Season Championships for the first time in program history. 

​

In his fourth season, head coach Dex Schroeder made program history with a 13-3 SoCon record, earning them the title of 2020-2021 SoCon Regular Season Champions for the first time ever.  The Black and Orange would go on to defeat the No.3 seed Western Carolina (Apr. 2) in the conference tournament, before to falling to Samford (Apr. 3) in the Southern Conference Championship 3-0.

​

In his third season with the Mercer Bears, head coach Dex Schroeder led the Bears to a 14-17 overall record, 6-10 in the SoCon. He recorded his 200th career win on Sept. 14 against Tennessee State with a 3-1 final. His 40th with as Mercer’s head coach came in the 2019 Southern Conference quarterfinals when the No. 6 Bears upset the No. 3 Western Carolina Catamounts in five sets. It would be the second time in program history that the Black and Orange would advance to the conference semifinals. He also led the Bears to back-to-back Southern Conference team sweeps when the Bears swept Wofford (Oct. 25) and The Citadel (Oct. 26). This is the first time in Mercer recorded history that this has happened.
 
In just his second year of being the head coach at Mercer, Schroeder led the No. 4 Bears to the Southern Conference semifinals match for the first time in program history after defeating No. 5 Wofford, 3-0. The Black and Orange recorded a 16-13, 8-8 SoCon record for the 2018 season. 
 

 

Dex Schroeder
Head Coach

Collegiate Coaching Experience

  • July 2017-Present – Mercer University

    • Beach/Indoor Head Coach

  • 2008-15 – Samford University

    • Indoor Head Coach

  • 2007-08 – Saint Louis University (Mo.)

    • Indoor Assistant Coach

  • 2003-06 – Furman University

    • Indoor Assistant Coach

Past Coaching Accolades

  • Samford University

    • All-time winningest coach in program history (169-86, .662%)

    • Two NCAA Tournament berths (2011, 2014)

    • Two Southern Conference Tournament championships (2011, 2014)

    • Four SoCon North Division titles (2008, 2009, 2011, 2012)

    • Won 20-plus matches in five different seasons

    • Mentored three different SoCon Players of the Year, one SoCon Libero of the Year & one SoCon Freshman of the Year

  • Saint Louis University (Mo.)

    • Helped lead the Billikens to a 23-7 record

  • Furman University

    • Spent four seasons as an assistant on Michelle Young’s staff

    • Helped guide the Paladins to a pair of winning seasons, including a 19-11 mark in final year on staff (2006)

Education

  • 1998 – University of Windsor (Ontario, Canada) (B.S., Human Kinetics)

Alicia Roth
Assistant Coach

Alicia Roth was named the Mercer volleyball assistant coach and recruiting coordinator in March 2020. Roth most recently stood as the head volleyball coach at Johnson & Wales University in Denver, Colo. where she lead the team to the 2019 SCAC Team Sportsmanship Award. In her three years at JWU, she also served as the Senior Woman Administrator, oversaw the student-athlete advisory committee, and stood as an Athletic Coaching and Administration professor.

Prior to her time at Johnson & Wales, Roth stood as the associate head coach at Northwestern State University in Louisiana. Her career in collegiate coaching began at Campbell University, where she served as the graduate assistant working with Fighting Camels’ defensive players and overseeing summer camps.

Roth was the defensive specialist at Samford University for four years under Derek Schroeder. She helped lead the team to the 2011 Southern Conference Championships and to a NCAA Tournament appearance.
 

Coaching Experience

  • July 2017-March 2020- Johnson & Wales University 

    • Head Volleyball Coach

    • Senior Woman Administrator

    • Student-Athlete Advisory Committee

    • Adjunct Professor

  • November 2018-March 2020- The Diff Volleyball Club

    • Head Volleyball Coach of 18 National 1 (19-20)

    • Assistant Volleyball Coach of 18 National 1 (18-19)

  • November 2017-2018- Juggernaut Volleyball Club

    •  Head Coach of 18 National 1

  • June 2015-July 2017-Northwestern State University 

    • Associate Head Coach

    • Recruiting/Travel Coordinator

  • August 2013-May 2015- Campbell University 

    • Graduate Assistant  

Education 

  • 2015-Campbell University (M.Ed. Interdisciplinary Studies)

  • 2013- Samford University (B.S. Sports Administration)

bottom of page