18 White

Emma Celentano was named the head coach at the University of Mount Olive in December 2019. With COVID-19 producing some unexpected challenges to a head coaching career, Emma finally got to complete her first season in spring 2021.

The team was projected to finish 9 out of 11 and far surpassed expectations with a 3rd place finish. It was the first time UMO had finished with a winning record and won a conference playoff game since 2013. That initial success was upheld in the fall 2021 where Emma had her first “normal” season – one with a full schedule. The team sustained what they were starting to build and had their first 15-win season since 2013. In addition, one of her players Amara Eziakonwa was recognized as a First-Team All-Conference selection by leading the league in attack percentage.

The success only continued into the 2022 season, where the team will get to see the year hang in the rafters as they claimed a share of the 2022 Regular Season Championship. Some of the highlights included:

• The first 20-win season since 2005

• Two First Team All-Conference performers – Middle Blocker Amara Eziakonwa and Libero Morgan Prots

• Finishing third in all of NCAA Division II in aces per set, averaging 2.54 and leading the entire country in total aces at 302

• The team’s 9 losses only coming to regionally ranked teams

Her career started at North Carolina Central University where she worked as the associate head volleyball coach. Her on-court responsibilities with NC Central primarily included training the defense and serve receive. Emma’s off-court responsibilities ranged from recruiting to developing the team’s conditioning program.

Emma started her coaching career in the club world back in 2013 and spent the last 5 years growing Carolina Edge. The club started off with 4 teams in its first season and steadily grew to having 11 teams this past year in 21/22. The focus on youth development and exposing all of the club’s athletes to high-level college coaching is exactly what she hopes to continue bringing to Advantage.

Emma graduated with a degree in Exercise and Sport Science in addition to Coaching Education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her education is put to good use each and every day, and she couldn’t have dreamed of a better start to her career than at NC Central, starting Carolina Edge, and taking over Mount Olive. Emma completed her Master’s in Physical Education with a concentration in Athletic Administration from NCCU in December 2019.

Lastly, Emma’s favorite athlete is Roger Federer, and she has an unhealthy love for chocolate milk and Lululemon. If she was home more, she would definitely want a dog; and she could eat breakfast food for every meal of the day, every day.

Tyler Hunter, prefers Ty, completed her degree at Shaw University in social work and hopes to one day take her craft into the school systems. The Atlanta, GA native was a  senior rightside hitter for the Bears in 2019 under JP. Tyler played her freshman and sophomore year at Pasco-Hernando State College in Tampa, Florida and afterwards transferred to Shaw to finish her volleyball career.

Ty was the best server in all of NCAA Division II volleyball in her senior year campaign in addition to earning all-conference accolades.

Tyler spends most of her free time watching movies with friends, catching up on her rest, or spending hours on the phone with her loved ones back home.

During the season Ty’s primary goal is to help each young girl become confident in themselves and build their character. She hopes to bring her team members to their full potential as an athlete and as student. As the head coach or assistant of Edge’s top 17s or 18s these past three years, Tyler showed how to bring energy and kept her athletes smiling.

Morgan Prots graduated high school early to start playing for the University of Mount Olive in January of 2021. Entering her third season, she has racked up an All-Tournament team conference award and the Hustle and Effort award presented by UMO. She hopes to acquire an All-Conference team which she is so deserving of :)!

Outside of volleyball, Morgan is studying Elementary Education and one day wants to be a principal. She is very very passionate about the public school systems in North Carolina and hopes to change the way they are operated one day. When she is not skinning her knees on the court or teaching 3rd graders math, you can find her laying in her bed with a book and her two cats Oscar and Tyler.

Morgan’s goal for her first year of coaching is to help athletes make progress in their abilities, but most importantly to ensure that every athlete finds joy in this sport. Morgan is very excited to teach the sport she loves and learn more about herself and others in the process!