Bio

Began: 2008 | Season: 2024 is her 17th season
Overall record at Milligan entering 2024: 316-233

Doneva Bays, a 1997 Milligan graduate and 2009 Milligan Athletics Hall of Fame inductee as multi-sport standout for the Buffs, enters her 17th season at the helm of the Milligan women's volleyball program in 2024. In 2021, she became the athletic department's first-ever Senior Woman Administrator (SWA).

Bays is the winningest volleyball coach in Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) history with 316 career victories and 205 AAC regular season victories. Under Bays, the Buffs have never had a losing record in conference play and have recorded 15-straight seasons with winning records in league play.

Bays was honored as the AAC Coach of the Year for the second time in her career in 2023. The Buffs posted a 26-7 record and finished as the AAC regular season runner-up with a 19-2 conference record. The Buffs finished one game short of a national tournament berth as Milligan reached the AAC Tournament semifinals. Bays notched her 300th win at Milligan and 200th AAC win during the 2023 season.

In 2023 Milligan set program records for AAC winning percentage (.905), the longest winning streak in team history (13) and notched 13 regular season conference sweeps. Kolbie Greene was honored as the AAC Setter of the Year and was joined on the AVCA All-Region Team by Ella Maiden. Maiden led the nation in solo blocks (70) and was one of four players to average at least one block per set and three kills per set in 2023.

The Milligan women's volleyball team qualified for the NAIA Women's Volleyball National Championship for the third time in as many years in 2020-21. The Buffs punched their tickets to NAIA Tournament by reaching the AAC Tournament finals as the No. 6 seed. Senior outside hitter Carley Gregory was an All-AAC First Team and AVCA All-Region selection. In June, Bays was announced as the 2020-21 AAC Coach of Character.

In 2019 the Buffs went 24-12 and earned a runner-up finish in the AAC tournament to qualify for the NAIA Women's Volleyball National Championship for the second straight year. The Buffs hosted the opening round match and it was the first time in Milligan history that a sports team had hosted a national championship event on campus. The Buffs fell to Martin Methodist in four sets and were unable to advance to the final site. Bays helped guide setter Kellee Geren to earning NAIA and AVCA All-America teams. Geren also earned AVCA Northeast Region Player of the Year, Appalachian Athletic Conference Player of the Year, and AAC Setter of the Year.

In 2018 Bays led the women's program to its first trip to the NAIA Women's Volleyball National Championship since 1996. There, the Buffs won their opening round match to advance to the final site. Bays helped guide libero Alyssa Rupert to NAIA All-American honorable mention and Appalachian Athletic Conference libero of the year honors this same season. The team went 26-9 and earned a runner-up finish in the AAC tournament.

Bays was named the AAC Coach of the Year after leading the Buffs to 31 wins and the AAC regular season runner-up in 2016. Milligan was once again close to making the national tournament, ending the season in the AAC tournament semifinals after finishing the season only one game back of the AAC regular season title. Bays led setter Kellee Geren to AAC distinction as Geren earned AAC Setter of the Year in her freshman season, and four other Buffs were named to the AAC All-Conference team in 2016.

The 2015 season saw the women's team make a run in the conference tournament, falling out in the championship match to Union College after knocking off top-seeded Bryan in the semis. The Buffs finished the season with an overall record of 20-15 and a conference record of 13-7, one win away from an automatic berth to the NAIA National Championship.

In Bays’ fourth season (2010), she led the Buffaloes to the championship match of the AAC tournament, but they fell in a five-set heartbreaker to Union College. Their run in the tournament capped off a 27-14 (10-4 AAC) season. During the season, Milligan had numerous players honored with weekly AAC awards and saw setter Chelsea Spivey be named to the NAIA Tachikara-NAIA Volleyball All-American team as an honorable mention, only the third such honor for the Buffaloes program. The Buffaloes recorded the first 20-win season in eight seasons.

In early 2014, Bays was assigned a startup men's program which competes as a club team.

Bays came to Milligan with a rich understanding of the college as she excelled in the Milligan athletic program, lettering with the Buffaloes in volleyball and basketball. Bays was a member of the 1996 volleyball team which was ranked as high as No. 15 nationally and earned a berth to the NAIA national tournament.

With the Milligan volleyball team, Bays was honored as a member of the All-Conference, All-Region, and All-American teams. She also was selected as the Tennessee Valley Athletic conference and the Mid-South Region Player of the Year. In basketball, Bays posted over 1,000 points in the Milligan uniform and was a pivotal part of Coach Rich Aubrey’s squad that finished No. 16 at the NAIA national tournament in Angola, Indiana.

Previous coaching experience for Bays came at NCAA Division I Coastal Carolina University (S.C.) and Georgetown College (Ky.). With Georgetown, Bays was a part of the Tigers elite eight season and helped the team set a school record of 40-5. Georgetown reached a ranking as high as No. 4 in the nation.

Bays also served as head coach of the Coast Volleyball Club in San Diego, Calif., which was under the direction of volleyball great Mary Jo Peppler. Bays started her coaching career as a graduate assistant for East Tennessee State University. Before coming to back to Milligan, Bays served as assistant director of recreation for Scott County (Va.) Parks and Recreation.

Bays’ holds a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education from Milligan and has completed all coursework for her master’s in sports science from East Tennessee State University. She resides in Gate City, Virginia, with her daughter, Makayla.