By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

SINCE returning to the forefront as a collegiate head coach for women’s volleyball in the United States of America, Bahamian Edric ‘Drips’ Poitier continues to make waves on and off the court.

In his latest achievement, the Bowie State University head women’s volleyball coach has been appointed to a four-year term on the NCAA Division II Women’s Volleyball National Committee.

“I’m excited, absolutely excited,” Poitier told The Tribune. “My whole goal is to see how I can help to develop and grow the game of volleyball at every level.

“So, to get an opportunity to sit on the management committee in division II volleyball, governance is very important to achieving that goal and to give some input on how to advance the game, so that’s very exciting for me.”

As the representative for the Atlantic region, which covers the East Coast from Georgia to Pennsylvania and Ohio, their region is one of eight in the nation.

He thanked Lynn Dickey and members of the NCAA Governance and Policy Committee for the opportunity to serve the DII volleyball community in this prestigious position.

“I look forward to representing the CIAA and Bowie State Athletics to the best of my ability, and deem it an awesome privilege to be considered for service,” he stated.

Poitier will begin his tenure on September 1 as the Atlantic Region representative and will serve on a committee that oversees, among other things, the selection, seeding and bracketing for the annual NCAA Division II Women’s Volleyball Championship.

The volleyball committee is comprised of eight members who represent each geographical region in Division II.

The purpose of the committee is to develop policies and procedures governing the administration and conduct of the Division II women’s volleyball championships. As a committee member, Poitier is expected to attend the championships and the annual meeting each year.

Additional duties include participating in teleconferences, serving as the NCAA site representative for regional competition, ranking teams and providing input on selection of host institutions for regional and national competition.

“We are extremely excited about coach Edric Poitier being named to the NCAA Division II Volleyball Committee,” added Clyde Doughty Jr, vice president of intercollegiate athletics and recreation.

“Coach P, as we like to call him, will bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to the committee. Coach P is determined to make the sport of women’s volleyball a safe and exciting experience for competitors. Wishing him continued success.”

Poitier, a former police officer and member of the Bahamas Volleyball Federation as a men’s national team player and women’s national coach, was recommended by his conference.

“I had to basically write my volleyball history and I was selected from among the three other nominees from the conference,” Poitier said.

“The management committee for the NCAA II division then selected the person who they wanted to represent the conference.”

Since joining BSU in 2022, Poitier has already started to put life back into the Bulldog programme highlighted by last season’s berth in the conference tournament for the first time since 2019, snapping losing skids against Virginia State and Virginia Union, as well as getting two players on the all-conference team.

Poitier, who intends to return home to put on a volleyball camp in Grand Bahama under the direction of their association president Whitney Armbrister, “has invited me to stage a camp for Nike in the DC and Maryland area at the end of July.

“Nike contacted me and asked me if I wanted to do a camp for them this summer,” Poitier said.

“I would love to do some of this back home. I know the Grand Bahama Volleyball Association is working on getting me to do a camp there in late June or early July.

“I hope to bring about six of my players and put on a week long camp there. That’s in the making right now.

“Whitney Armbrister has asked me to do it, so I’m happy to give back to The Bahamas free of charge.”

Poitier also congratulated Crystal Forbes on being elected as the new president of the Bahamas Volleyball Federation.

He indicated that he will be willing to assist the federation in whatever they deem necessary.