Allen Community College begins the search for a new volleyball coach.
Maria Aikins, ACC coach since 2023, announced her departure for Cloud Community College in Concordia.
For Aikins it’s a return home. Aikins played on the junior college’s volleyball team.
“I’m very excited. It happened really fast and I’m still processing it,” Aikins said. “I’m excited to get back. I’ll also get to be closer to family and continue to do what I love.”
Aikins coached with her husband, James Aikins, who served as an assistant coach. Aikins first coached at Hutchinson High School for six seasons before taking on at the Division I Hutchinson Community College. She was a KSHSAA All-Selection while playing at Salina Central High School.
“Iola has been very good to us. It’s a bittersweet goodbye, but with a very thankful heart,” she said.
Over her tenure with Allen, Aikins had a career record of 64-32 and 18-15 in the Jayhawk Conference for the Division II Red Devils. She took over a team with a combined record of 29-31 in the previous two seasons and finished 2023 with a 20-10 record and a 6-4 conference record.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity Doug Desmarteau (ACC athletic director) allowed me to have getting this program turned around,” Aikins said. “The support was great. A lot of people rallied around us and we had professors and other clientele around the college support us.”
In 2024, the Red Devils finished with a 26-9 record and 7-3 in the conference. Last season, Allen ended the year 18-13 and 5-4 in the conference. They broke into the NJCAA top 25 after upsetting perennial powerhouse Johnson County Community College but fell in the postseason to No. 1 ranked Cowley Community College.
“Allen was a special place with a very homey feel,” Aikins said. The decision to leave Allen “was hard for us. We were ready to establish some roots and keep going, but this was an unexpected opportunity we couldn’t pass up.”
Regardless of who takes the reins next season, they will inherit a team with 11 returning sophomores — barring any offseason transfers.
