A college coach with over 30 years of experience, Eddie Matthews has been the Head Volleyball Coach at Methodist since taking over the team prior to the 2001 season. Overall, Matthews has posted a 329-345 record, 11 winning seasons, and has coached 40 players to all-conference honors at Methodist.
Returning to a normal fall season, the 2021 team finished with a 13-17 overall record, which was an 11-win improvement from the previous season. With a 5-13 conference record, the Monarchs helped coached Matthews to his 300th career win since joining the program in 2001. Janie Harmelink led the team in digs, finishing fifth overall in conference with 528 digs, averaging 4.76 digs per set.
After a Covid-19 altering season, the Monarchs completed the 2021 spring season 2-7 overall and 2-5 in conference. Freshman setter, Hannah Hewett, finished fourth overall in assists for USA South conference standings, averaging 9.36 assists per set.
The Monarchs finished the 2019 season 6-20 overall and 5-11 in conference. Junior defensive specialist, Maddie Barga finished third in service aces per set (.59) for the USA South individual conference standings.
For the 2018 season, the monarchs finished with a 17-10 overall record and a 9-7 record in conference. The monarchs finished fifth in the east division for the second year in a row and advanced to the USA South Tournament. Matthews coached senior middle blocker, Brittany Ter Meer to her second all-conference performance. Ter Meer ended her career fourth overall in the conference for kills, with 319, third in the conference in kills per set, averaging 3.26, and fourth in conference with a hitting percentage of .295.
The 2017 squad finished with an 18-13 record, which was a 10-win improvement from a season prior. With an 8-8 mark in conference play, the Monarchs finished fifth in the East and advanced to the USA South Tournament. Matthews coached outside hitter Cassidy Hayes to her fourth all-conference performance, including her second selection to the League's first team. She also finished her career second in kills and total blocks.
2017 starts the streak as the Monarchs have reeled off three consecutive conference tournament appearances.
In 2015, the Monarchs finished the season with a 20-10 mark, which was the first 20-win season since 2011. The squad forged a 13-7 record in conference play to claim third in the North Division on its way to the conference tournament.
In 2011, Matthews turned in one of the best seasons in program history when the Monarchs finished 21-8. The success of the 2011 season was built off of a 20-win campaign in 2010, which featured a 10-game winning streak. Methodist had not won more than 20 games in a season since 1988.
After a .500 season in 2007, the Monarchs started to trend skywards as 2008 featured a 17-15 record for Methodist, tying the most wins for Methodist in more than 15 years. Matthews topped the 2008 season with an even better 19-11 overall record.
In his inaugural season, he led the Methodist to the Dixie Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament championship marking only the fourth time in school history that Methodist had reached the DIAC tournament championship match. That was followed by the 2002 season when the Lady Monarchs finished with 16-18 mark, giving them their most victories in a season since 1993. That team also advanced to the semifinals of the DIAC Tournament.
Under his teaching and recruiting, Matthews has coached the MU program's top six career leaders in kills and the program's top four career leaders in blocks.
He came to Methodist from NCAA Division I Georgia Southern, where he has served as the head coach for five seasons. In addition to his tenure at the helm of the Georgia Southern program, Matthews has also served as the head coach at NCAA Division III Whitman College in Walla Walla, Wash., for three years, and served a five-year tenure as the assistant coach at his alma mater - North Carolina.
While at Georgia Southern, Matthews orchestrated the school’s biggest single-season turn-around going 17-19 in his second season after a 6-26 campaign in 1996. During his time at North Carolina, Matthews helped guide the Heels to back-to-back ACC Championships in 1989 and 1990.
Additionally, Matthews has served as the assistant volleyball tournament director for the United States Olympic Festival on four different occasions and served as the assistant Chief of Staff to the USA Volleyball team at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. He has served as the chair of the South Region for the NCAA Division III Volleyball Committee and recently completed his term as the chair position for the national NCAA Division III Volleyball Committee.
Matthews, who holds USA Volleyball CAP Level II certification and is a member of the American Volleyball Coaches Association, received his bachelor’s degree in Physical Education from North Carolina in 1993. Matthews has ties to the Cape Fear regions as he grew up in nearby Roseboro, N.C., where he currently resides with his wife, Shannon, and children - Christopher, Caroline and Daniel.
Matthews' Record at Methodist…
| Season |
Record (Overall) |
Record (Conference) |
| 2001 |
9-26 |
4-10 |
| 2002 |
16-18 |
5-9 |
| 2003 |
10-24 |
6-10 |
| 2004 |
12-20 |
3-11 |
| 2005 |
17-13 |
6-8 |
| 2006 |
15-17 |
6-8 |
| 2007 |
16-16 |
9-9 |
| 2008 |
17-15 |
8-10 |
| 2009 |
19-11 |
10-8 |
| 2010 |
20-12 |
10-8 |
| 2011 |
21-8 |
13-5 |
| 2012 |
16-12 |
5-6 |
| 2013 |
14-18 |
9-10 |
| 2014 |
15-18 |
10-9 |
| 2015 |
20-10 |
12-7 |
| 2016 |
8-22 |
4-11 |
| 2017 |
18-13 |
8-8 |
| 2018 |
17-10 |
9-7 |
| 2019 |
6-20 |
5-11 |
| 2020-21 |
2-7 |
2-5 |
| 2021 |
13-17 |
5-13 |
| 2022 |
12-8 |
6-12 |
| 2023 |
16-10 |
11-7 |
| TOTALS |
329-345 |
166-202 |
