By Loveth 
Alabama volleyball just added a new face to the coaching staff — Ray Lewis. Nope, not the former NFL linebacker. This Ray Lewis is stepping in to help head coach Rashinda Reed as an assistant.
Lewis is pretty pumped about the move, saying in a statement that after talking to Coach Reed, he knew Alabama was special and that he’s excited to be part of a top-tier program.
Before this, Lewis was at Merrimack College for three years, running the men’s volleyball program. He also had a solid run at Benedictine University, where his team went 62-20 and won the NAIA national title in 2019 — earning him Coach of the Year honors. He’s also coached high school and club teams and played college volleyball himself at Lakeland College.
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Quick Alabama Sports Rundown
Friday’s Events:
Men’s tennis takes on Pepperdine, Stanford, and California in the NCAA Tournament at noon.
Softball heads to South Carolina at 5 p.m.
Baseball plays at Vanderbilt at 6 p.m.
Thursday’s Highlights:
Alabama softball crushed South Carolina 13-1 in just five innings.
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Other Bama News:
Track & Field: Samuel Ogazi was named SEC Men’s Co-Runner of the Week for his 400-meter debut.
Community Service Honors: Swimmer Kailyn Winter and long jumper Julian Collins both won the Brad Davis Community Service Award. They’re now in the running for a bigger scholarship prize later this month.
Pro Football Update: Former Tide defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs signed with the San Antonio Brahmas in the UFL after a stint in the NFL and some off-the-field drama.
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Fun Fact from Tide History (May 2):
In 1985, a plan to move the Alabama-Penn State game to Labor Day was scrapped due to scheduling issues with Maryland.
In 1991, former Alabama/Navy star Don Whitmire passed away. He was a rare All-American at two schools and later became a Navy rear admiral.
Quote of the Day:
“We never thought about losing.” – Pooley Hubert, after Bama’s first Rose Bowl win.