Indoor and beach volleyball coaching legend Nina Matthies has announced that she will retire at the end of the 2018 season, ending a run that has included more than 700 wins and two AVCA beach championships at Pepperdine.

Longtime assistant Marcio Sicoli will succeed Matthies as the head coach of the beach volleyball program.

During Matthies’ six seasons on the beach, she has a 112-18 record, six postseason appearances, national titles in 2012 and 2014, and an NCAA runner-up finish in 2017. Over the course of 31 indoor seasons, she is 590-343 with 20 NCAA Tournament appearances.

“It’s a great time to make this change in my life and in the program,” Matthies said. “Our staff has been working so well together, my team is amazing, and it just seems like the right move for my husband Dan and me.  My 35 years at Pepperdine — actually half my life spent growing at Pepperdine — has been nothing but a blessing. The people I’ve worked with, met, coached, I couldn’t have asked for a better support group throughout the years.

Matthies was the inaugural AVCA Sand Volleyball Coach of the Year and has twice been named the West Coast Conference Beach Volleyball Coach of the Year — in 2016 and 2017. She earned induction into the AVCA Hall of Fame in 2015 and was named a USA Volleyball All-Time Great Female Beach Player Award recipient.

“We have been blessed at Pepperdine with incredible volleyball coaches,” athletic director Steve Potts said. “Nina Matthies has established a legacy of teaching and success that will likely never be equaled. Our strong commitment to collegiate beach volleyball was an easy decision because of Nina's involvement and leadership.

“Every women's beach volleyball collegiate student-athlete owes a debt of gratitude and thanks to Nina for all that she has done for their sport. I will always be thankful for the opportunity I have had to work with Nina and, on behalf of Pepperdine athletics, want to say thank you to her for her dedication, sacrifice, and extraordinary commitment to countless Pepperdine Waves.”

Matthies was named to the 75th Anniversary All-Era team by USA Volleyball in 2004 and was inducted into the Women’s Professional Volleyball Association Hall of Fame in 1995. In indoor volleyball, she earned WCC Coach of the Year seven times and Co-Coach of the Year an additional three times. On the national stage, Matthies was named 1999 District 8 Coach of the Year, the 2002 Pacific Region Coach of the Year, and the 2003 Pacific Region Co-Coach of the Year.

“I want to thank Dr. Andrew Benton and Dr. Steve Potts for allowing me to start the beach program and we’ll forever be grateful for their support of this team and our constant goal of sustaining one of the top programs in the country,” Matthies said.

Sicoli will become just the second head coach in the beach volleyball program’s history after joining Matthies’ indoor staff in 2008. Sicoli’s focus turned to the beach program-only in 2014.

“Marcio Sicoli is well-established as one of the best beach volleyball coaches in the world,” Potts said. “He has experience at the very highest levels of the sport and we are very fortunate to have had him working with our program from the beginning. I am so pleased that Marcio has agreed to lead our team as head coach following Nina's retirement.”