MALIBU, Calif. — Pepperdine Athletics announced today a significant gift of nearly $375,000 from the Estate of Dave Holden, designated to the Marv Dunphy Endowed Volleyball Fund and Nina Matthies Endowed Fund for Beach Volleyball. The gift, one of the largest single endowment gifts in the history of Pepperdine Athletics, supports the storied men's volleyball and women's beach volleyball programs.
"This remarkable gift is significant for Pepperdine Men's Volleyball and Women's Beach Volleyball for every student-athlete who has and will wear the Waves uniform," said Tanner Gardner, Pepperdine Director of Athletics. "The Marv Dunphy Endowed Volleyball Fund represents excellence, integrity, and leadership, the same values that Coach Dunphy instilled in this program and that Dave Holden so passionately believed in. The gift also supports the Nina Matthies Endowed Fund for Beach Volleyball, which honors Coach Matthies, who pioneered beach volleyball at the NCAA level. We are grateful to the Holden Estate for this extraordinary generosity, which not only honors three giants of Pepperdine Athletics, but also ensures that Pepperdine Men's Volleyball and Women's Beach Volleyball will continue to compete at the highest level while providing life-changing opportunities for our student-athletes well into the future."
The Holden estate gift stands as a landmark philanthropic investment in the Marv Dunphy Endowed Volleyball Fund and Nina Matthies Endowed Fund for Beach Volleyball, providing long-term stability and strengthening both programs for generations of student-athletes and leaders to come.
Holden's connection to Pepperdine and men's volleyball extended beyond the court, where he was a familiar face on gamedays, having held the first courtside seat which is marked with 'Dave Holden, Original Wave'. A Vietnam Veteran like Dunphy, Holden's mark on the program spanned decades, as Dunphy recalls phone calls between the two with Holden giving the scouting report on players and teams in the Redondo/Manhattan Beach area where he resided.
Established in 2006, the Marv Dunphy Endowed Volleyball Fund is named in honor and recognition of the leadership of legendary head coach, Dr. Marv Dunphy. Dunphy, the Head Coach Emeritus, coached the Waves for 34 seasons and directed the team to four NCAA men's volleyball titles. The Marv Dunphy Endowed Fund provides critical support for generations of men's volleyball student-athletes, helping ensure that talented and driven athletes, regardless of their financial background, can thrive both on the court and in the classroom.
The fund reflects the values that Dunphy helped build the program on, with humility, integrity, characters and leadership being the cornerstones. The Marv Dunphy Award was established alongside the fund in 2006, given to a student-athlete that best exemplifies these qualities while representing the program. Current head coach Jonathan Winder was the inaugural recipient of the award as a student-athlete.
The Nina Matthies Endowed Fund was established in September 2018 to support the Pepperdine beach volleyball program. Matthies led the beach volleyball program for its first seven seasons, winning two national championships, reaching five final fours, and guiding the program through its transition into an NCAA-sanctioned sport. The fund continues to support the growth and development of the program and its student-athletes.
ABOUT THE MARV DUNPHY ENDOWED VOLLEYBALL FUND
Established in 2006, the Marv Dunphy Endowed Volleyball Fund supports Pepperdine men's volleyball student-athletes while honoring the extraordinary legacy of legendary head coach Dr. Marv Dunphy. Founded by alumnus and former Waves men's volleyball student-athlete Michael Bekins ('77) through the Milo W. Bekins Foundation, the fund reflects a deep commitment to excellence, leadership, and service within Pepperdine Athletics.
Michael Bekins, a 2002 Pepperdine Distinguished Alumnus Award recipient and current member of the Pepperdine Athletics Board, established the fund to ensure continued access, opportunity, and competitive excellence for generations of Waves student-athletes, while preserving the values and leadership standards that define Pepperdine Men's Volleyball.
To donate to the Marv Dunphy Endowed Volleyball Fund or to learn more about other endowment opportunities, please contact Jared Green, Associate Athletic Director for Development, via email at jared.d.green@pepperdine.edu
ABOUT THE NINA MATTHIES ENDOWED FUND FOR BEACH VOLLEYBALL
The Nina Matthies Endowed Fund was established in September 2018 by Stephen and Cathleen Seiber in support of Pepperdine Beach Volleyball. Stephen Seiber is an SC '84 alumnus and former Men's Volleyball student-athlete. His wife, Cathleen, is also an SC '84 alumna and a former Women's Volleyball student-athlete. Their daughter, Sarah Seiber (SC '17), was a student-athlete on the beach volleyball team. Matthies led the beach volleyball program for its first seven seasons, winning two national championships, reaching five final fours, and guiding the program through its transition into an NCAA-sanctioned sport. The fund continues to support the growth and development of the program and its student-athletes.
ABOUT PEPPERDINE MEN'S VOLLEYBALL
Pepperdine men's volleyball boasts one of the richest histories in collegiate volleyball, with five NCAA National Championships. Four of those championships came under the direction of Hall of Fame coach Marv Dunphy who totaled 612 victories in 34 seasons at the helm. With 19 NCAA Appearances and 63 All-Americans, the program has consistently been a destination for top talent across the country. Under current head coach Jonathan Winder, the Waves reached the NCAA Final Four in his third season at the helm in 2025.
ABOUT PEPPERDINE BEACH VOLLEYBALL
Established in 2011, Pepperdine beach volleyball quickly rose to national prominence, winning two national championships in three years (2012, 2014) while reaching the final four in five of its first six seasons. Joining the WCC ahead of the 2016 season with the sport becoming NCAA-sanctioned, the Waves won the inaugural and first three WCC Championships while reaching eight straight conference championship games from 2016-24. The program has consistently recruited top talent in the sport, with 21 student-athletes garnering All-American honors since 2012.
