Van Compton

Van Compton will begin her 35th season as the head coach of the Little Rock Volleyball program in 2022. She enters the after recording a 553-454 (.549) overall record at Little Rock. She has led the Trojans to four regular season Sun Belt Conference championships, five tournament championships, six postseason appearances and five appearances in the NCAA Tournament, including advancing to the Second Round in 2014.
Compton enters the 2022 season ranked 15th among active Division I coaches in career wins and remains the all-time winningest coach in the Sun Belt Conference. The "Queen of the Sun Belt" ended her reign following the 2021 season when Little Rock moved to the Ohio Valley Conference and Compton concluded her tenure in the league with a 261-180 (.592) record in Sun Belt play.
The 2021 season saw Compton's squad record an historic 3-2 win over Arkansas at Barnhill Arena in Fayetteville. The win, Little Rock's first over a Southeastern Conference program since 2013, witnessed three Trojans secure double-doubles as Little Rock claimed a win over a Razorback team that was receiving votes in the Top 25 poll. Laura Jansen would go on to receive All-Sun Belt Conference First Team honors for the second consecutive year.
Compton guided the Trojans to winning five of their last six games in 2020, storming into the semifinals of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament yet again. Laura Jansen received All-Sun Belt Conference First Team honors as well as SBC All-Tournament honors while Leigh Maher was named the league's Newcomer of the Year while also claiming second team all-conference honors. 
Yet another postseason appearance capped off the 2018 season as Little Rock received a bid to the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC). Postseason play came after Veronica Marin was named the Sun Belt’s Player of the Year and claimed Academic All-District honors. Marin, a first team all-conference selection, led the league with a .399 hitting percentage while Carol Barbosa claimed second team all-conference accolades.
In 2016, the Trojans finished fifth in the regular season with an 8-8 record in Sun Belt play. Compton coached Edina Selimovic and Carolee Dillard to All-Sun Belt honors for the second straight season.
In 2015, Little Rock finished fifth in the regular season with an overall record of 14-14 and 9-7 in Sun Belt play. The Trojans took down No. 4-seed UT Arlington in the first round of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament with a 3-0 sweep. Compton coached Edina Selimovic to All-Sun Belt First Team honors and AVCA All-Region honors while Carolee Dillard took home All-Sun Belt Second Team honors.
In 2014, Compton fielded the best team in program history. The Trojans finished the Sun Belt Conference undefeated at 20-0 and finished with an overall record of 30-5. Towards the end of the season, Little Rock had the longest winning streak in the nation with 25 consecutive victories. The Trojans finished the regular season with 20 conference wins, the most in Division I. Compton became the Sun Belt Conference's all-time winningest coach when she earned her 216th conference win in straight sets against Arkansas State. Compton earned her fifth Sun Belt Conference Tournament Title after sweeping South Alabama, UT Arlington and Texas State. Compton led the Trojans past the No. 16-seeded Kansas Jayhwaks in five sets to earn the program's first NCAA Tournament win. In the final AVCA Coaches Poll, Little Rock cracked the Top 25 for the first time in program history, being ranked No. 24. Compton was named Sun Belt Coach of the Year for the second time before earning her first AVCA Southwest Region Coach of the Year award.
In 2013, Little Rock finished the year second in the conference behind another stellar offensive season from Edina Begic. The junior claimed the Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Year Award and was also named an Honorable Mention All-American. The Trojans finished the season with a 20-11 record and were 12-6 in Sun Belt Play. The team won the New Mexico State Tournament as well as the Memphis Tiger Invitational in non-conference play.
In 2012, Compton helped guide the Trojans to their first Sun Belt Conference Division Title since 2000. After going 4-8 in its pre-conference schedule, Little Rock went 9-5 in the SBC. Compton coached her third SBC Player of the year as Edina Begic finished second in the nation in both points (5.74) and kills (5.08) per set. After starting the year 1-4 in matches that go the distance, Compton guided the Trojans to a 6-0 record in conference play in five-set matches.
In 2011, Compton coached her fourth Sun Belt Freshman of the Year as Edina Begic earned the honor and was named second team All-Sun Belt Conference.
In 2008, Compton led the Trojans to back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time in school history and a second place finish in the Sun Belt west division. Also for the first time in school history, Amy Hafner earned Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year. Amila Barakovic earned first team All-SBC honors, while Anita Bucur earned second team.
In 2005, Compton was named the Sun Belt Conference all-time volleyball coach. 
Compton has led the Trojans to an over-.500 winning record in Sun Belt Conference play 20 times and became the first coach in conference history to record 100 Sun Belt victories with the Trojans' 3-0 victory over New Orleans on October 18, 2003.
Since 1991, when Little Rock joined the conference, the Trojans are the only team to win three consecutive conference tournaments. Compton led the 1996 Trojan squad to its first-ever Sun Belt Conference title. Little Rock then advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time. The 1997 season saw Compton leading an injury-plagued squad to its first-ever regular season title as well as its second-consecutive tournament title. The Trojans advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the second-straight year in 1997. In 1998, the Trojans made Sun Belt history with their third consecutive tournament title and NCAA appearance. The 1999 season saw the end of the Trojans' run at tournament titles, but still kept Little Rock’s string of success alive with a share of the regular season title. In 2000, the Trojans' success began anew, as the squad won both the regular-season and tournament titles and advanced to the NCAA tournament in Gainesville, Fla.
In 1988, Compton resurrected the volleyball program at Little Rock. The following season was a major turnaround for the Trojans. Compton led the 1989 Trojans to a 27-11 record, improving by 21 victories over the previous year. In 1990, the team finished at 21-3 and finished second in the NAIA District 17 Tournament. Along with the rest of the Little Rock program, the volleyball team made a big step in competition, moving to the Sun Belt Conference in 1991.
Little Rock has reached the conference tournament 23 out of 25 seasons since being in the Sun Belt. In 1993, Compton was named the Sun Belt Coach of the Year after directing the Trojans to a 24-12 mark and a second-place finish in the league.
A graduate of Arkansas State, Compton taught high school in her native Forrest City, Ark., before becoming women's basketball and volleyball coach at Arkansas College. She joined the Little Rock athletic program in 1986 as women's basketball coach before taking over the volleyball reins in 1988.
Category:Little Rock Athletic Staff
Category:Volleyball Head Coaches