ORANGEBURG, SC— A year after heading a volleyball program in which she was a standout player for South Carolina State, we had a chance to sit down with current Lady Bulldog Head Coach Melissa Paige (formally Robinson).
 
Paige, with twelve years of experience, including eight as a head coach, is no stranger to Orangeburg and the SC State campus. The Tallahassee, FL native was among the top volleyball players at SC State during her collegiate career (2009-2011). She ranks second all-time in digs at the school and was a member of the 2010 SCSU team that captured the second of the school's two Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference volleyball championships and earned a berth in the NCAA Volleyball Championship. Paige and the other members of that squad were enshrined in the SCSU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2021 (Class of 2020).
 
Paige began her coaching career in 2013 as an assistant at SCSU -- her alma mater – where she earned a bachelor's in sport communication in 2012. She later joined the staff at Claflin as an assistant and helped lead the school to its first Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) title and its first appearance in the NCAA Division II Championship. She coached the SIAC's MVP and several members of the All-SIAC Tournament Team. To see Paige's complete bio, visit www.scsuathletics.com.
 
Q: What made you decide to return to South Carolina State?
A: I've watched our program since I left back in 2013 as most alum do. I've seen some positives and some areas we needed to work on. I wanted to come back because I felt like our program can be great and show the competitiveness that we had while I was a student-athlete and before. 
 
Q: What would you say is one of the biggest challenges you face in your current role?
A: The biggest challenge is changing the volleyball mindset in our state about our program. We tend to miss out on some great prospective student-athletes based on where the program has been the past few years. 
 
Q: What would you tell your younger self at this point?
A: Be patient; you have the ability to work hard.
 
Q. What was the best advice given to you throughout your career?
A: Always stay true to who you are and be present in the moment. 
 
Q. What is the biggest challenge you see in college volleyball today?
A: Volleyball is growing so fast that sometimes it's hard to keep up with everything and adjust
 
Q: What is a misconception about coaches' society always claim?
A: I think student-athletes have a perception that coaches only want to see them workout hard or overwork them.
  
Q: When I am not working, I am doing? 
A: I'm traveling…I'm most likely at a beach. I absolutely love the beach! It's my happy place.
 
Q: If I wasn't in my current role, what profession would I be in?  
A: I'd probably be an attorney. Most likely sports law. 
 
Q: A hidden talent I have no one knows about is?
A: I can play the piano.
 
Q: The person I admire the most in life?
A:  Mom and Dad. They've always been supportive in a lot of decisions that I've made and there to tell me when I'm wrong. They've also shown me how to be a patient person. It took a while to get there but I love them for teaching me that, especially in coaching. They're always open and honest and it's shaped me to be the person I am today. 
 
Q: My favorite quote in life? 
A:  Whether you think you can or you can't-You're right- Henry Ford
 
Hot Seat

• Favorite Food:  Pizza
• Favorite Cereal or Snack: Fruit Loops
• Favorite Song and Artist: Cardi B- Get up 10.
• Favorite Hobby: Swimming
• Favorite Sport besides Volleyball: Football of course but come on…I'm an NFL fanatic. Dallas Cowboys! Don't judge. 
• Something About Myself No One Else Knows: I love the Beach. It's my happy place. 
• One word that describes yourself: Chill.

 ABOUT SC STATE ATHLETICS
South Carolina State University is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level intercollegiate athletic program. The university currently fields teams in 14 sports: women's volleyball, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's indoor track & field, softball, men's and women's outdoor track and field, women's soccer and football with all teams competing in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), except for women's soccer.
 
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