Mount Olive made coach Cole Tallman a winner in his 1,000th career match with a 25-13, 22-25, 25-20, 25-22 victory over Elizabeth City State on October 15. The win improved Tallman’s all-time record to 682-318, including games in both women’s and men’s volleyball at the college and junior college levels.

“It should be noted that I started coaching when I was 6 years old,” Tallman joked after the win over Elizabeth City State.

Tallman was named head women’s and men’s volleyball coach at Mount Olive last December. His overall total includes an 11-10 record with the Mount Olive men’s volleyball team last spring and a current 11-14 mark with the women’s volleyball team this season. The Trojans have a 10-2 record in conference play and are a game out of first place in this season’s Conference Carolinas women’s volleyball standings.

Before his arrival at Mount Olive, Tallman coached at the Division I level at Furman and Gardner-Webb. He guided Furman to its first Southern Conference championship. He also coached at Division III schools St. Thomas (Minnesota) and Dubuque, leading St. Thomas to a national ranking. Tallman coached at current Conference Carolinas member Anderson (South Carolina) when the school was still a two-year college.