In the temporary absence of Northwestern University’s head volleyball coach on Tuesday, an assistant coach and two players talked about how the team is moving forward after recent allegations of hazing in the program.
Head coach Shane Davis said he would not appear at the annual Big Ten volleyball media day in Chicago, as had been scheduled, since he was unable to answer questions about a pending lawsuit. A former player alleged in the yet-to-be-filed suit that Davis had hazed her by singling her out for punishment in rough practice drills and other ways.
Davis wrote in a statement that he is “incredibly proud of the program we have built at Northwestern.”
New assistant coach Pedro Mendes, who became part of the Northwestern program in February, said he couldn’t talk about the allegations raised from 2021, before he joined the team. But he addressed the team’s culture now.
“I don’t think since I joined the team I have ever experienced or ever seen any type of situation where I would consider myself or the players around me as hazing,” Mendes said.
“The way we coach, from my time here, it’s been a lot about like respect,” he said. “We try to keep the standards pretty high but we’re always trying to make sure like the athletes are feeling respected and heard. So that’s how we do it, and we’re going to keep doing the same way.
“I think they (the players) can speak more to it than I can,” he added. “That’s pretty much what we’re going to keep doing — what we already do.”
Ellee Stinson, a sophomore player, said one of the program values is relationships.
“From the time I’ve been here, I can only say positive things about the coaching staff and feeling welcomed and supported by my teammates,” she said. “So yeah, relationships — we really love one another.”
Junior Alex Rousseau, a setter on the team, talked about taking on a leadership role, noting that there are seven new players.
“I’ve had plenty of conversations with them about being a player-led team and being able to step in and hold each other accountable,” she said. “I think all of us girls talk about how much we love each other and sometimes we do need to have those hard conversations about, ‘Hey, we’re better than this. We can hold a higher standard and just continue to push each other in the gym.’ I think it’s been hard but you find that perfect atmosphere that we have.
“Sometimes communication to be held to a higher standard may be perceived as something that has to be a hard conversation or aggressive,” she added, “but I think when you are in a safe culture and relationship, it’s easy to have those conversations because it isn’t personal. You’re just having a conversation to help each other perform at their best.”
The plaintiff in the lawsuit, identified anonymously as Jane Doe 1, was a student from 2019 to 2023.
She alleged that Davis punished her for catching COVID-19 and forcing a temporary suspension of the program early in 2021, despite her following pandemic protocols.
The player was forced to do a “coach on one” drill in which Davis “blasted” balls at her for her to hit, and another drill in which she had to run “suicides,” sprinting back and forth across the court while diving on the floor at each line.
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Both drills are common, but the player said she was humiliated by being forced to do them alone while the entire team and coaching staff watched.
She alleged that she also was forced to write a letter of apology, was not allowed to travel with the team, and was threatened with having her athletic scholarship taken away.
The player reported the incidents to school officials, who said they launched an investigation that found hazing had occurred.
In response, a school spokesman said appropriate disciplinary action was taken, but didn’t explain what discipline was imposed.
Davis, a two-time national champion as coach of the Loyola men’s volleyball team, was given a multiyear contract extension following the incident, at the end of 2021.
When he announced the deal, Northwestern athletic director Derrick Gragg said officials were excited to keep Davis as coach.
“He is extremely well respected in the volleyball community for his knowledge of the game, ability to recruit and develop talent and, of course, his previous accomplishments as both a player and a coach,” Gragg said.
