Zach Mayer – Men's Volleyball – 1st Season
Zach Mayer is “back home again in Indiana” with a vision to help build a new powerhouse program at Indiana Wesleyan University. He joins the inaugural Wildcat men’s volleyball program as the assistant coach after spending two years in Southern California where he helped assemble one of the most successful stretches in NAIA men’s volleyball history at The Master's University.
During Mayer’s tenure with the Mustangs, The Master's compiled an outstanding resume: an overall record of 51-2, back-to-back GSAC Regular Season Titles and GSAC Tournament Championships, an undefeated NAIA National Championship in 2025, and a national semifinal appearance in 2026. The program also set the NAIA record for consecutive victories and tied the record for the longest winning streak in collegiate men’s volleyball history with 47 consecutive wins.
In his first season on staff, Mayer helped lead the Mustangs to a perfect 27-0 record. The undefeated season included a regular season conference title, a GSAC Championship, and culminated in TMU being crowned the 2025 NAIA National Champions. The squad proved themselves to be one of the most dominant teams in collegiate volleyball with six players named to the All-GSAC team and five players who earned All-American honors, including superstar outside hitter Braden Van Groningen who was named the AVCA Player of the Year along with veteran middle blocker Max McCullough who earned AVCA Newcomer of the Year. The Mustangs were ranked No. 1 in the national poll for the entirety of the season and also finished the year as a top-10 team in the Massey ratings across all divisions of collegiate men’s volleyball.
For Mayer, the 2025 campaign was highlighted by a gritty road victory over a NCAA Division I foe ranked 8th nationally –the Stanford Cardinal. This monumental win was part of a perfect 5-0 stretch against NCAA Division I opponents from the MPSF. Overall, the Mustangs finished the season 81-13 in sets played and posted a commanding 12-1 record in sets played during the NAIA National Championship Tournament. Following the season, Mayer was recognized as a finalist for the AVCA Assistant Coach of the Year Award.
The success continued into the 2026 season as The Master's finished 24-2 overall, captured both the GSAC regular season title and the tournament championship, and advanced to the national semifinals of the NAIA tournament. Mayer played a significant role in developing one of the nation's most efficient and complete teams. He helped lead an offense that ranked first nationally in hitting efficiency (0.398) and second nationally in kills per set (13.4). Defensively, he helped implement a new defensive system and serving strategy that pushed the Mustangs to the very top of the statistical charts again as they lead the nation in opponent hitting percentage (0.145) while also ranking third nationally in service aces per set (1.95). In 2026, the team produced six All-GSAC selections and five AVCA All-Americans, including three players who were named First Team All-Americans, including offensive standout Matthew Hamm and young powerhouse Trace Oswald. Head Coach Goldberg was named the 2026 AVCA NAIA Coach of the Year, as Mayer helped the staff to secure yet another AVCA Player of the Year winner in versatile opposite Isaac Seltzer.
Before beginning his collegiate coaching career, Mayer graduated from Indiana University with a double major in Business Management and Law & Ethics. While at Indiana, he discovered his passion for coaching volleyball at the collegiate level through his work with the Indiana University Women’s Volleyball program as a practice player. As a lifelong Hoosier fan, he is incredibly grateful for the coaching staff at IU and for the privilege to have been a first-hand witness of the transformational growth of the program in recent years. During his time in Bloomington, he also served as Vice President of the Indiana Men’s Club Volleyball program, helping lead the Hoosiers to a top-10 finish at NCVF Nationals in 2022 and a MIVA Championship appearance in 2024. Mayer was named the Offensive Player of the Year and also earned First Team All-Big Ten honors during his senior season.
As native Hoosier, Mayer appeared in three consecutive Indiana Boys Volleyball State Championship matches, playing for Roncalli High School. Volleyball has long been a family affair for Mayer. He is the brother of former JVA All-American libero Andrew Mayer, who competes just up the road at the NCAA Division I level for the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons.
Known for his passion for player development, culture building, and competitive excellence, Mayer returns to his home state with a vision for helping Indiana Wesleyan build a nationally competitive program while developing student-athletes who excel both on and off the court as witnesses to the love and light of Christ.
