MACON, Ga. — When Chad Sutton arrived at Mercer in April 2023, he was inheriting a volleyball team that went 10-19 in 2022, losing in the first round of the Southern Conference tournament.
Sutton’s Bears went 16-12 in his first year as head coach, and his 12 conference wins were the second-highest mark in program history. Despite their initial success, the Bears lost their first match in the postseason conference tournament - falling to No. 7 Chattanooga in the SOCON quarterfinals.
Now, the Florida State alum has a new challenge: improving on Mercer’s performance during his first season with the team, and advancing further in the playoffs.
Sutton says the progress made last season will be helpful for the team going forward.
“We’re way ahead of the game in terms of how to run a program here and the expectations on us,” Sutton said. “We just have a lot more planned out, so we’re not just shooting from the hip as we go. Everything’s been predetermined, and now we just get to enjoy coaching a little bit more and do the stuff we love most.”
Going forward, Sutton said he’s excited about the incoming crop of freshmen and transfer students that the team is adding this year. The Bears have seven freshmen on the roster, making up nearly half of the team’s players.
"I think everybody here is someone we've recruited here,” Sutton said. “It's definitely making a difference already in chemistry and culture so we're excited."
With only a few weeks remaining until the start of Mercer’s season, it remains to be seen if that chemistry will show itself when the team hits the court.
The Bears have only one scrimmage before the start of the season when they face Georgia State on Saturday, Aug. 16 at 2 p.m. Their regular season will begin on Aug. 30 in the UNF Invitational against Quinnipiac.