Coach Morteza Shiari (r) with Aryton Garcia-Jurado
Photo by: Don Liebig/ASUCLA
Morteza Shiari Promoted to Assistant Coach
September 15, 2023 | Men's Volleyball
ย ย ย ย ย ย Morteza Shiari, a former Iranian National Team player, joined Coach John Speraw's Bruin men's volleyball staff in October of 2021 as a volunteer assistant coach and has now been elevated to assistant coach. Shiari has been a member of two straight Bruin coaching staffs to lead teams into the NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship Tournament, including the 2023 Bruin squad which captured the program's 20th NCAA men's volleyball championship.
ย ย ย The 2023 squad defeated two-time defending champion Hawai'i to earnย UCLA's first title since 2006. ย The Bruins also won the 2023 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Tournament Championship. The 12-0 regular-season MPSF record was UCLA's first unblemished mark since it went 19-0 in 1995. The Bruins also led the nation in set assists (12.64) and blocking average (2.80). Middle blocker Merrick McHenry topped the nation with a .526 attack percentage. In addition, the Bruins were rated among the nation's top five in kills per set (second), aces per set (third) and opponent hitting percentage (eighth). In 2022, the Bruins lost in the NCAA Semifinals but also led the nation in hitting percentage (.374) while ranking among the nation's ten best in set assists (fifth), kills per set (fifth) and blocks per set (eighth).
ย ย ย Shiari played for the Iranian junior, college and men's National teams from 1996-2010. He participated in two World University Games competitions. In 2000, he was named as the best player in Asia. Shiari, who came to the U.S. in 2017, played professional men's volleyball in Iran from 1998-2007. He then worked as the Chief of Volleyball Division, Championship Committee in Iran from 2007-14.
ย ย ย Shiari has gone on to serve as an assistant coach on the U.S. Men's National Team since 2018. He was on staff as an assistant coach as the U.S. won the silver medal in the 2023 Volleyball Nation's League (VNL) in Poland. In 2022, he was an assistant on the U.S. staff when the team captured the silver medal at the VNL in Italy.ย Shiari was also the first assistant coach on the U.S. bronze medal-winning 2021 Pan American Cup team.ย In 2019, he was an assistant coach for the U.S. National college team at the World University Games.
ย ย ย Shiari has coached since 2022 at Rockstar Volleyball Club where he has led the 17s to back-to-back bronze medals in the Showcase Tournament and the Nationals. In addition, he has coached for the United Volleyball Club in Fountain Valley, Calif. and has served as the volleyball coach at Fountain Valley High School. He also has coached for the Beach Elite Volleyball Club in Huntington Beach, Calif.
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ย ย ย The 2023 squad defeated two-time defending champion Hawai'i to earnย UCLA's first title since 2006. ย The Bruins also won the 2023 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Tournament Championship. The 12-0 regular-season MPSF record was UCLA's first unblemished mark since it went 19-0 in 1995. The Bruins also led the nation in set assists (12.64) and blocking average (2.80). Middle blocker Merrick McHenry topped the nation with a .526 attack percentage. In addition, the Bruins were rated among the nation's top five in kills per set (second), aces per set (third) and opponent hitting percentage (eighth). In 2022, the Bruins lost in the NCAA Semifinals but also led the nation in hitting percentage (.374) while ranking among the nation's ten best in set assists (fifth), kills per set (fifth) and blocks per set (eighth).
ย ย ย Shiari played for the Iranian junior, college and men's National teams from 1996-2010. He participated in two World University Games competitions. In 2000, he was named as the best player in Asia. Shiari, who came to the U.S. in 2017, played professional men's volleyball in Iran from 1998-2007. He then worked as the Chief of Volleyball Division, Championship Committee in Iran from 2007-14.
ย ย ย Shiari has gone on to serve as an assistant coach on the U.S. Men's National Team since 2018. He was on staff as an assistant coach as the U.S. won the silver medal in the 2023 Volleyball Nation's League (VNL) in Poland. In 2022, he was an assistant on the U.S. staff when the team captured the silver medal at the VNL in Italy.ย Shiari was also the first assistant coach on the U.S. bronze medal-winning 2021 Pan American Cup team.ย In 2019, he was an assistant coach for the U.S. National college team at the World University Games.
ย ย ย Shiari has coached since 2022 at Rockstar Volleyball Club where he has led the 17s to back-to-back bronze medals in the Showcase Tournament and the Nationals. In addition, he has coached for the United Volleyball Club in Fountain Valley, Calif. and has served as the volleyball coach at Fountain Valley High School. He also has coached for the Beach Elite Volleyball Club in Huntington Beach, Calif.
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Players Mentioned
MB
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