Alabama Volleyball Announces Ray Lewis as New Assistant Coach: Roll Call, May 2, 2025

Alabama volleyball announced a new change on its coaching staff Thursday with the hiring of Ray Lewis under head coach Rashinda Reed. (No, not the Ray Lewis you're thinking of.)

"From the first conversation with Coach Reed, it was clear that Alabama is a special place,” Lewis said in a press release. “I am incredibly grateful to the coaching staff and administration for the opportunity to join this prestigious program as an assistant coach. Alabama is the standard in athletics and I look forward to contributing to the success of our student-athletes both on and off the court."

Most recently, Lewis worked for three years as the Director of Volleyball for Merrimack College’s men’s volleyball team. Before that, he was the head coach of Benedictine University for three seasons, going 62-20 (.756) including a 2019 NAIA Men’s Volleyball National Championship title, which earned him NAIA Coach of the Year honors that season.

Lewis also has experience at the high school and club levels of volleyball and personally played collegiate volleyball at Lakeland College.

Friday's Crimson Tide Schedule:

Men's tennis in NCAA Tournament vs. Pepperdine, Stanford, California, 12 p.m. CT
Softball at South Carolina, 5 p.m. CT, SEC Network+
Baseball at Vanderbilt, 6 p.m. CT, SEC Network+

Thursday's Crimson Tide Results:

Softball: Alabama 13, South Carolina 1 (Five Innings)

SEC News

The History of the Southeastern Conference

2025 NCAA Baseball Tournament Prediction 6.0

Late Home Runs Lift Mizzou Softball to Thrilling Win over No. 24 Georgia

Did You Notice?

Alabama track's Samuel Ogazi was named the SEC Men's Co-Runner of the Week.

Conference Recognition for his 400-meter season debut 🫡#RollTide pic.twitter.com/jRf2AFOx6r
— Alabama Track & Field (@AlabamaTrack) May 1, 2025

Women's swimmer Kailyn Winter and men's jumper Julian Collins were named Brad Davis Community Service Award Winners by the Southeastern Conference. They are two of 32 honorees (16 men and 16 women) who are now finalists for the Male and Female Brad Davis Community Service Leaders of the Year and will receive a $7,500 postgraduate scholarship. The male and female Community Service Leaders of the Year, to be announced later in May, will each receive a $15,000 postgraduate scholarship.

Alabama’s Kailyn Winter & Julian Collins Named Brad Davis Community Service Award Winners#RollTide | @SEC https://t.co/bt6vMjA1S9
— Alabama Athletics (@UA_Athletics) May 1, 2025

Former Alabama defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs has signed with the San Antoino Brahmas in the UFL.

News: The San Antonio Brahmas have signed DL Isaiah Buggs.

Buggs, the former #Steelers draft pick, spent a few years in the NFL - prior to some off-field issues keeping him sidelined.

Undeniable talent, though - and a big pickup for this @XFLBrahmas defense. #UFL pic.twitter.com/v88Y7KguZz
— James Larsen (@JamesLarsenPFN) May 2, 2025

Countdown to Crimson Tide's 2025 Football Season Opener:

120 days

On This Day in Crimson Tide History:

May 2, 1985: ABC officials announced that their plans to move the Alabama-Penn State game to Monday night, Sept. 2 had been nixed because Maryland refused to move its game with the Nittany Lions on Sept. 7 to a later date. Alabama coach Ray Perkins and Penn State coach Joe Paterno had both agreed to move the game from late October to Labor Day night to accommodate the national network. — Bryant Museum

May 2, 1991: Don Whitmire, an All-American tackle at both Alabama and Navy, died at the age of 68. The College Football Hall of Fame inductee is one of just four players to be named an All-American at two different schools. He went on to reach the rank of rear admiral and while serving with the Seventh Fleet commanded Task Force 76, which supported the evacuation of Saigon in April 1975.

Crimson Tide Quote of the Day:

“We never thought about losing” – Pooley Hubert after Alabama’s first Rose Bowl victory.