Samantha Neely was named Head Coach of the Mt. San Antonio College Women's Indoor and Beach Volleyball programs after serving as interim head coach during the 2019 season. Taking over the indoor volleyball team midway through the year with a 6-14 record, Neely guided the Mounties to five additional victories and an 11-17 overall finish. That late-season turnaround marked the beginning of a remarkable resurgence for the program under her leadership.

Since becoming head coach, Neely has established Mt. SAC as one of the premier volleyball programs in the South Coast Conference and in the state. In 2021, the Mounties posted a 20-7 overall record and finished second in conference. The following season, Mt. SAC captured the 2022 South Coast Conference Championship with a 19-5 overall record and an 11-1 conference finish. In 2024, the Mounties earned a South Coast Conference North Division Co-Championship after finishing 20-8 overall. Neely continued that success in 2025, leading the team to a 22-6 overall record and a perfect 8-0 conference mark en route to another South Coast Conference Championship. For her efforts, she was named South Coast Conference Coach of the Year in 2021, 2024, and 2025.

Under Neely's direction, numerous student-athletes have earned conference, regional, and state recognition. Notable honorees include Ally Euston, the 2021 South Coast Conference Most Valuable Player; Riannel Arevalo, the 2021 SCC Libero of the Year; Allison Whiteman, the 2022 SCC Most Valuable Player; Emma Carson, the 2024 SCC Freshman of the Year; Sydney Valentine, who earned SCC Most Valuable Player and CCCWVCA SoCal All-Region honors; and Mayah Tiscareno, who was recognized as SCC Libero of the Year, CCCWVCA SoCal All-Region, SoCal Libero of the Year, and State Libero of the Year.

Neely has also built Mt. SAC's beach volleyball program into a conference powerhouse. In 2023, the Mounties compiled a dominant 23-2 overall record and a perfect 8-0 conference mark to win the South Coast Conference Championship, earning her SCC Coach of the Year honors. The success continued in 2025 when Mt. SAC captured another conference title and Neely was named SCC Beach Coach of the Year for the second time. Her beach volleyball teams have consistently qualified a pair to compete at the 3C2A Pairs State Championship, demonstrating the program's continued excellence on the state stage.

In addition to her coaching accomplishments, Neely played a key role in the design and development of Mt. SAC's state-of-the-art beach volleyball facility. Her involvement helped create a premier venue that enhances both training and competition opportunities for student-athletes.

Before becoming head coach, Neely served as an assistant coach for both the indoor and beach volleyball programs at Mt. SAC. She also coached at ProPlay Volleyball Club in Fullerton, one of the region's premier club volleyball organizations.

A native of Whittier, California, Neely graduated from La Serna High School before continuing her volleyball career at Westmont College on an athletic scholarship. During her collegiate career, she earned numerous honors, including NAIA Second Team All-American (2018), NAIA Honorable Mention All-American (2017), AVCA Southwest Region Player of the Year (2018), and Golden State Athletic Conference Player of the Year. She was also a two-time team captain, a GSAC/NAIA Scholar-Athlete in 2018 and 2019, and the recipient of the NAIA Champion of Character Award in 2018. In 2019, she competed internationally at the Global Challenge Tournament in Pula, Croatia, representing Senri Kinran University of Japan. No stranger to Mt. SAC, Neely also competed for the Mounties' beach volleyball team in 2019, finishing the season with an impressive 11-3 record alongside her partner.

Neely holds a bachelor's degree in kinesiology from Westmont College and master's degrees in kinesiology and educational leadership from California Baptist University. Outside of coaching, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, working out, traveling, exploring new places, and pursuing creative interests.

updated 06/04/26