Samantha Neely

Samantha Neely

  • Title:
    Head Coach - Indoor Volleyball / Beach Volleyball
  • Phone:
    909-274-4344
  • Email:
    sneely@mtsac.edu
  • Hometown:
    Whittier, CA
  • Team:
    Women's Indoor and Beach Volleyball
  • Accolades:
    2021 & 2024 SCC Volleyball Coach of the Year, 2023 & 2025 SCC Beach Volleybal Coach of the Year
  • University/College:
    Westmont College
  • Mt. SAC Starting Year:
    2019

Samantha Neely was named Head Coach of the Mt. San Antonio College Women’s Indoor and Beach Volleyball teams after serving as Interim Head Coach for the Indoor team during the 2019 season. Taking over a struggling squad midseason with a 6-14 record, Neely led the Mounties to a strong finish—adding five wins and ending the year with an improved 11-17 overall record. Since then, Nshe has led a strong resurgence for the program.

In indoor volleyball, Neely has guided the Mounties to multiple successful seasons. In 2021, Mt. SAC finished with a 20-7 overall record and placed second in the South Coast Conference (14-4). The following year, the team captured the 2022 SCC Championship with a 19-5 overall record (11-1 conference). In 2024, the Mounties earned a co-conference championship in the South Coast Conference North Division with a 20-8 overall record and a 7-1 mark in conference play. Neely was named South Coast Conference Coach of the Year in both 2021 and 2024. Under her direction, several players earned top conference honors, including Ally Euston (2021 SCC Most Valuable Player), Riannel Arevalo (2021 SCC Libero of the Year), Allison Whiteman (2022 SCC MVP), and Emma Carson (2024 SCC Freshman of the Year).

Neely has also built Mt. SAC’s Beach Volleyball program into a powerhouse. In 2023, she led the Mounties to a dominant 23-2 overall record and a perfect 8-0 conference finish to win the SCC Championship, earning SCC Beach Coach of the Year honors. The momentum continued in 2025 with another SCC title and Neely’s second SCC Beach Coach of the Year award. That same season, the pair of Candace Ceballos and Madeline Castillo represented Mt. SAC in the CCCAA Pairs State Championships and finished ninth in the state—marking another major milestone for the beach program. In addition to her coaching success, Neely was instrumental in the design and development of Mt. SAC’s state-of-the-art beach volleyball facility, creating a premier home venue that elevates both training and competition for student-athletes.

Before stepping into the head coaching role, Neely served as the top assistant for the indoor team and also as assistant coach for beach volleyball. She also coached at ProPlay Volleyball Club in Fullerton, one of the premier club volleyball programs in the region. A standout athlete herself, Neely was a key member of Mt. SAC’s Beach Volleyball Team in 2019, finishing the season with an impressive 11-3 record alongside her partner.

A Whittier native, Neely graduated from La Serna High School before playing volleyball at Westmont College on an athletic scholarship. There, she earned numerous accolades including NAIA Second Team All-American (2018), NAIA Honorable Mention All-American (2017), AVCA Southwest Player of the Year (2018), and Golden State Athletic Conference Player of the Year for right-side hitter and middle blocker positions. She was a two-time team captain, GSAC/NAIA Scholar-Athlete (2018, 2019), and recipient of the NAIA Champion of Character Award (2018). In 2019, she competed internationally in the Global Challenge Tournament in Pula, Croatia, representing Senri Kinran University (Japan).

Neely holds a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from Westmont College, a master’s degree in kinesiology from California Baptist University, and most recently completed a second master’s in educational leadership, also from California Baptist. Outside of coaching, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, working out, being creative, traveling and exploring new places. 

updated 07/01/25