Jane Sargent (center) poses with (left to right) Dr. Elizabeth Underwood, Rep. Mat Pitsch, Rep. George McGill and Dr. Paul B. Beran

University of Arkansas – Fort Smith volleyball coach Jane Sargent was presented a citation by the Arkansas House of Representatives in recognition of her 600th win as coach of the Lady Lions volleyball team.

 

Representatives Mat Pitsch and George McGill, along with Chancellor Paul B. Beran, presented the citation at the Lady Lions basketball game Jan. 14 in the Stubblefield Center, recognizing Sargent’s milestone she achieved Oct. 11 in a nonconference match against in-state foe Harding University.

 

Sargent said she was honored to receive the recognition.

 

“It was such a really nice thing for the representatives to do,” she said. “I feel humbled and honored that they would think of me and go to that much trouble to do something so nice for me. I was extremely honored and appreciative.”

 

A native of Fort Smith, Sargent became the university’s first volleyball coach in spring of 1998, building the program to become a perennial contender on the regional level. Under Sargent’s watch, the Lady Lions have never had a losing season and won a school-record 54 matches in 2002, when they made the first of six appearances in the NJCAA national tournament. She has won more than 80 percent of her matches as a volleyball coach.

 

Since UAFS became a member of NCAA Division II in the summer of 2011, Sargent has led the Lady Lions to five Heartland Conference regular-season titles and five conference tournament championships. The Lady Lions have made five national tournament appearances, winning two South Central Region Championships and advancing to the Elite Eight twice and Final Four once.

 

Sargent has been honored as the Region II Coach of the Year six times and coached four NJCAA First Team All-Americans, two AVCA First Team All-Americans, and two AVCA Second Team All-Americans. She is a graduate of Oklahoma Panhandle State.

 

About the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith

The University of Arkansas – Fort Smith is the premiere regional institution of Western Arkansas, connecting education with careers and serving as a driver of economic development and quality of place in the greater Fort Smith region. Through a small campus, dedicated professors, and the university’s unique bond with its community, students at UAFS are able to do more in the areas they are passionate about, both on- and off-campus, in a way that prepares them for post-graduate success. To find out how you can do more at UAFS, visit www.uafs.edu.