Mary Frahm Named 2025 NJCAA DII Volleyball Coach of the Year
Charlotte, NC – Resilience, determination and hard work has led to history in the heartland. As she leaves her mark on the program forever, Mary Frahm of Heartland Community College has been named the 2025 NJCAA Division II Volleyball Coach of the Year after leading the Hawks to their first national title in program history.
Frahm has been at the heart of Heartland's volleyball program since its inception in 2019. Prior to Frahm's involvement at Heartland, the Hawks volleyball team was a simple dream that had yet to come to fruition. She was able to turn that dream into reality as she took on the head coaching position and guided her team to success with their sights set on the title. In just 6 years, Frahm was able to take the team from a mere idea to a national force to be reckoned with across NJCAA Volleyball.
"Coach Frahm was this program's first coach. She took it from concept to championship in 6 seasons. The amount of work and imagination it took was daunting. Yet, knowing Mary, I am not surprised at all she accomplished this," stated Ryan Knox, Director of Athletics at Heartland.
In a year where the competition in DII Volleyball has been especially aggressive and competitive, Frahm and the Hawks were persistent in their performance as they remained at the top of the National Rankings, even reaching their first #1 overall rank in program history. They finished the year with a record of 40-4.
2025 was a turning point year for the Hawks. After claiming second runner-up at the 2024 DII National Tournament, Heartland sought redemption. Heartland entered the 2025 National Tournament as the No. 2 seed. With fire under their wings and Frahm at the helm, the Hawks flew through the 2025 National Championship, only dropping one set the entire tournament. They notably swept the two-time defending champions, Cowley, in the semifinals. Heartland made quick work in the national championship match as they swept No. 4 Kansas City Kansas 3-0 (25-22, 25-20, 25-23) to claim the title.
Frahm ended the 2025 season with an overall record of 172-36. In addition to the 2025 NJCAA Coach of the Year award, she was also awarded the AVCA Midwest Region Coach of the Year alongside 2025 runner-up coach, Mary Bruno-Ballou of Kansas City Kansas. Frahm's competitive efforts also earned her the Mid-West Athletic Conference (MWAC) Coach of the Year honor.
Frahm's unwavering dedication and the culture of diligence and teamwork that she instills in her team will only lead to more success for the Hawks in the future. Under her leadership, Heartland Volleyball will continue to grow into a harrowing opponent for all that face them.