MALIBU, California – Paul Carroll, one of the top players in Pepperdine men's volleyball history, has returned to Malibu and has been named the Waves' associate head coach.
 
"It's great to have Paul back in Malibu," Pepperdine Coach David Hunt said. "He and his wife are both Pepperdine alumni. They both understand the value and impact that Pepperdine will have on our student-athletes. When you open up the Pepperdine record book, Paul's name is riddled throughout. He thinks about the game at an extremely high level and will be an asset to everyone in our program. As he concludes his international career, I am excited to see him transition from an elite athlete to a great coach."
 
Carroll, a 2009 graduate with a degree in business administration, earned National Player of the Year honors from both the AVCA and Volleyball Magazine in 2009. He was a three-time AVCA All-American first team selection, and finished third all-time at Pepperdine in kills (2,101), service aces (154) and points (2,454.0). Carroll holds Pepperdine records in the rally-scoring era for both kills in a season (661 in 2009) and kills in a single match (37 three times). He twice led the nation in kills per game. The Waves advanced to the NCAA Championships twice in his four seasons.
 
A native of Australia, Carroll has been a member of his country's National Team since his debut at the age of 19 in 2005. In 2008, he was named Australia's Male Volleyball Player of the Year. He has played professionally in Italy, Germany and Russia. He was named MVP of the German Bundesliga in 2010-11. He helped lead Berlin Recycling Volleys to six league championships in Germany in a seven-year span. He reached the CEV Champions League Final Four twice, and won a bronze medal in 2015.
 
"Men's volleyball has a rich and successful history at Pepperdine and I'm honored to be back part of it again," Carroll said. "David has instilled a culture and work ethic into the program that will allow us to compete for national championships every season."
 
The Waves begin the 2020 season with three exhibitions around New Year's, and have their first official match at home on January 5 against Cal Lutheran. Last year's Waves went 23-7 overall and won the MPSF with a 9-3 record. Pepperdine advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2008 and beat Princeton in the quarterfinals before falling to host Long Beach State in the semifinals. Setter Robert Mullahey, who earned 2019 AVCA All-American honorable mention status, and last year's two liberos, Noah Dyer and Spencer Wickens, are the most experienced returners.