On April 4th, 2025, Wayland Baptist Athletics announced the hiring of Lucie Mahelova as the 7^th Head Coach in Pioneer Volleyball program history.
 
A native of Znojmo, Czech Republic, Mahelova is also the head coach of the inaugural Wayland Baptist Beach Volleyball team.
 
"I am very excited to lead these two programs. We are looking forward to having successful seasons ahead, and I appreciate everything the athletic department has done to help make this happen," Mahelova expressed when talking about her excitement to be the next head coach.
 
Mahelova played volleyball for the Pioneers from 2019-2021 after spending two seasons at Laredo College. In her first two collegiate seasons at Laredo, Mahelova earned First Team All-Conference before transferring to Wayland Baptist in the Spring of 2019.
 
In her three seasons as a Pioneer, Mahelova received numerous awards such as 2021 NAIA All-American Honorable Mention, 2021 SAC Setter of the Year, 2021 First Team All-SAC, 2021 AVCA Regional Setter of the Year, 2021, CoSIDA Second Team Academic All-American, 2020 Second Team All-SAC, and a two-time NAIA Scholar Athlete recipient.
 
Mahelova graduated from Wayland Baptist in 2021 with a bachelor's degree in business administration. She then pursued her master's from Wayland Baptist with a degree in business management, which she officially completed in December of 2024.
 
Once Mahelova's playing career was over, she immediately embarked on her coaching career as she was named a Graduate Assistant for Pioneers, where she has served for the past two years.
 
"I was able to help build the program over the past two years as a graduate assistant, and Coach Giacomazzi and I worked hard on recruiting the returners and incoming players," stated Mahelova.
 
Wayland Baptist Director of Athletics Jim Giacomazzi had high praise of Mahelova:
 
"We are thrilled to announce that Lucie Mahelova has been named the Head Coach of Volleyball operations, overseeing both our Indoor and Outdoor Volleyball programs.
 
Lucie has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership both on and off the court. As a player, she was a standout competitor who understood the dedication and effort required to succeed both athletically and academically. Over the past few years, she has continued to impress in her role as a graduate assistant, proving herself as a strong recruiter and a detail-oriented coach.
 
Her commitment to excellence, ability to develop players, and passion for the game make her the perfect fit to lead our programs into the future."
 
Originally from the Czech Republic, Mahelova's entire family currently resides there, including her three sisters and one brother.
 
"My heart belongs to Wayland Baptist volleyball and beach volleyball, and I will do everything in my power to create an environment where we help our players be successful not only on the court and in the classrooms, but in their lives after college," said Mahelova.