Justin Maness named PJC volleyball coach

Published or Revised May 04, 2006

Justin Maness, 29, a native of Roxton, has been named coach of the new volleyball program at Paris Junior College. Maness comes to PJC from Southwestern Oklahoma State in Weatherford, OK where he was an assistant to coach Bo Pagliasotti and helped start a new program at that college. His first job at PJC as a coach will be to launch the new Lady Dragon volleyball program that will begin as an NJCAA Region XIV sport this fall. The board of regents in January approved the addition of the new sport to the women's programs that now includes basketball and softball. "We are pleased to have Justin join our coaching staff and faculty," said Athletic Director Dr. Jim Moffitt. "We welcome him back into the community and look forward to seeing his volleyball team in action." Maness began his coaching career at his alma mater, Roxton High School, where he developed a winning program in volleyball, making the playoffs two out of three years. He also coached the 2003 women's basketball team at Roxton to the state playoffs. Along with coaching, Maness also taught junior high and high school science courses. Maness began his college coaching career in 2003 when he left Roxton to become assistant coach at Clarendon College under Coach Pagliasotti. After two years at Clarendon where he help lead the team to its first playoff appearances in 2003 and 2004, he went to Southwestern Oklahoma. Maness graduated from Roxton High School and attended Paris Junior College from 1994 to 1996. He completed his bachelor's degree at Texas A&M University-Commerce and will complete a Masters of Education degree at Southwestern Oklahoma State University this month. "I am extremely excited about starting a volleyball program at Paris Junior College," Maness said. "It is nice to be back home and I am looking forward to building a program that the community and the college can be proud of." Maness said he hopes to keep up the winning tradition PJC has in its sports programs. "Paris Junior College has a strong athletic tradition and I feel that tradition will trickle over to help our volleyball program take on that same winning character," he said.