Head volleyball coach Paul Schlomer took the reins of the Edgewood College program prior to the 2006 season and is the longest tenured coach in Eagle volleyball history. The winningest coach in program history just completed his 17th season in 2022. Ahead of the 2023-24 academic year, Schlomer was named Assistant Director of Athletics in recognition of his leadership with athletics enrollment. Schlomer will also take on additional duties within the administrative leadership team. 

Under Schlomer, the Eagles have won four NACC regular season championships, one NACC tournament championship, one NAC tournament championship, and claimed two NCAA tournament berths. The Eagles posted a winning record in conference play for 11-straight seasons from 2009-2019. Edgewood College posted another winning record (7-5) in NACC play in 2021 and the only time since 2009 they haven't been above .500 in NACC play was in the shortened '2020' season, played in the spring of 2021 due to COVID-19. 

In 2023, Schlomer led the Eagles to their first NACC tournament championship and a berth to the NCAA tournament. The Eagles posted a 23-11 season, with an impressive 12-1 record in conference play to earn a NACC regular season championship. The Eagles would host all three rounds of the NACC Tournament, which began with a 3-1 victory over Illinois Tech. Edgewood College would go on to sweep Concordia Wisconsin to host Aurora in the NACC tournament final. The Eagles battled to a five set thriller with Aurora, taking the final set 16-14 for the their first tournament victory since 2011.

Schlomer is easily the winningest coach in program history, having amassed 299 wins during his 18 seasons at the helm. He owns 61.5 percent of the Eagles wins all-time and has seven 20-win campaigns to his name. During the 2021 season, Schlomer led the Eagles to their first win over a Top 25 team since the 2013 season when they defeated No. 25 Concordia University Wisconsin in the NACC opener. 

In four straight seasons (2012-15), the Eagles finished NACC tournament runner-up after winning their first NAC tournament championship and NCAA tournament berth in 2011. Schlomer and the Eagles posted the most wins (98) in a four-year stretch in school history during that time.

Schlomer, a five-time NACC Coach of the Year (2015, 2013, 2012, 2022, 2023), has coached one AVCA All-American, four AVCA Midwest All-Region, one CoSIDA Academic All-American, 10 CoSIDA Academic All-District, two NACC Players of the Year, one NACC Freshman of the Year, 26 First Team All-NACC, eight Second Team All-NACC, and nine NACC All-Freshman selections during his time with the Eagles.

In 2022, Schlomer led the Eagles to their first NACC Tournament victory since the 2017 season. The 2022 squad finished 20-10, their best finish since the 2015 season. Their 11-2 record in conference play was their high watermark since 2015 as well. They defeated multiple ranked squads, including eventual Elite 8 finisher Transylvania and UW-Stevens Point. At one point in the season, the Eagles were white hot, having won 14 of 16 matches. The Eagles hosted Benedictine in the first round of the NACC Tournament, their first hosting responsibilities since the 2017 season. A thrilling sweep of Benedictine propelled them to the semifinals, where they fell to eventual tournament winner Aurora. 

Schlomer led the Eagles to their eighth-straight Top-3 seed in the NACC tournament in 2017. The Eagles beat Wisconsin Lutheran, 3-0, in the first round, but were beaten by Aurora, 3-0, in the semifinals. Schlomer helped coach the best server in Eagle history, Savannah Koester, who finished with school records in all-time aces, single season aces, single-match aces, career aces per set, and fell one short of tying the all-time NACC career aces record.

The Eagles finished tied for third in the NACC with a 19-14 record in 2016 and reached the NACC semifinals for the eighth-straight season after beating No. 5 seed Lakeland, 3-1, in the first round.

In 2013, Edgewood College matched their total from the previous year with 26 wins while earning their second straight NACC Championship. The Eagles fell in the conference tournament championship but finished the regular season with a perfect NACC record (11-0), the first undefeated record in conference play in school history since 1996 when the team went 7-0 in conference. Schlomer became the winningest head volleyball coach in Edgewood College history.

The 2012 season was one to remember for Eagles as Schlomer led Edgewood College to its first conference championship since 1996. The Eagles earned 26 wins before falling in the conference tournament championship. The 2012 season marked four consecutive years with an increased win total for Edgewood College. 

In 2011, Schlomer led Edgewood College to a third place finish in the NAC. The Eagles then went on to upset the No. 2 seed Benedictine University and top-ranked Dominican University to win their first ever NAC tournament title. With the conference tournament win, Edgewood College secured a spot in the NCAA Division III Tournament for the first time in school history where they faced ninth-ranked Carthage College. The Eagles fell in the first round to Carthage, who eventually advanced to the final four.

Schlomer guided his 2009 squad to the best season in more than a decade by an Eagle volleyball team. The Eagles went 16-17 overall and placed sixth in the Northern Athletics Conference. The team also gave Coach Schlomer his first postseason victory with an upset over third-seeded Benedictine University.

In Schlomer’s first year as head coach of the Eagles, the Northern Athletics Conference was introduced. With a record of 5-24 in 2006, Schlomer matched the total number of wins from the 2005 season. The Eagles finished with nine wins in 2007 and went 6-6 in conference play. This was the first time since 1998 that Edgewood College finished .500 or better in conference. The Eagles advanced to the NAC Tournament for the first time, but lost to top seed Lakeland College. Edgewood College finished the 2008 season with seven wins including a 3-1 upset of eventual NAC Tournament Qualifier Benedictine University on October 3.

Schlomer is the head of the USA Volleyball Badger Region Girl’s High Performance program. He runs an all-star camp each summer in which athletes from across Wisconsin try out to attend. The top athletes are selected in two different age groups, who then compete at the High Performance Championships. This tournament includes all of the top USAV teams along with assorted international teams. Schlomer coached the team that won the gold medal in the girls’ International Youth Division. Schlomer has run the program the past three years and has coached in it the past five. In the past four years, Schlomer has coached his team to a bronze, silver, and gold medal.

Previous to coaching the Eagles, Schlomer was the head Women’s volleyball coach at La Follette High School in Madison.  Under Schlomer, La Follette was able to record back-to-back winning seasons in 2004 and 2005.  Schlomer’s experience also includes head coach of the age 18 and under Wisconsin Select club volleyball team in which he compiled an 87-51 record from 2004-2006.

Schlomer currently lives in Madison with his wife Erin. They have two children, Malcolm and Calvin.

EAGLES UNDER COACH SCHLOMER

*-NCAA tournament appearance