PHOENIXVILLE, Pa. -- The University of Valley Forge Athletic Department announced today that Maranatha graduate Taylor Dafoe (2020) will lead both the Men's and Women's Volleyball programs for the 2025-26 season.

Dafoe, who joined the Patriots in April, will start the campaign this fall after a standout playing and coaching tenure at Maranatha from 2017-2021. Dafoe holds Maranatha Men's Volleyball program records in assists (1,504), assists per set (4.82), and digs (577), and ranks in the program Top 10 in total blocks, digs per set, service aces, and service aces per set. Before his final season as a student-athlete, Dafoe served the role of Assistant Coach for the 2020 season as he began his studies in the Master of Organizational Leadership program. During his time at MBU as a Graduate Assistant, Dafoe filled the role of Athletic Communications GA.

Most recently, Dafoe demonstrated his leadership as Club Volleyball Director and Marketing Director at Push the Rock in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, where he has served since 2023. 

The new role for Dafoe is the perfect fit.

"I'm super excited for this opportunity - it's something I've always wanted to do, really," Dafoe said. "Just using my passion and experiences coaching and playing at Maranatha and continuing it here at UVF. Big shout out to Coach [Regina] DeLozier for her leadership and in helping me get here - I wouldn't have done it without being alongside of her as an assistant coach and after playing under her. It's been a blast to connect with Maranatha alums and people who have really helped me grow in my career, and I'm hoping to climb the ranks in coaching volleyball. I'm excited for this opportunity and for what else the Lord has for me."

"It's always positive because Taylor left Maranatha as a student-athlete, a coach, and an assistant SID, and look what he's doing now," said Paul Brown, Maranatha's Director of Athletics. "He's coaching a sport that he played collegiately and now he's giving back to the community where he grew up. He was able to be under legendary coaching in Regina DeLozier, and he took some of that mentoring and now he's applying it. We want people to come to Maranatha, learn, and grow, and be educated, and then go into their community and apply it."

"We are thrilled to have Taylor take on this expanded role," said UVF Director of Athletics, Gretchen LeVan. "His dedication to developing young athletes and his comprehensive understanding of volleyball at all levels makes him the ideal candidate to lead our men's program while continuing his excellent work with our women's team."