Photo of Mark Pryor by Russell Marwitz/russellmarwitz.com
HEWITT, Texas — After leading UMHB’s indoor volleyball program since 2019 and starting the beach volleyball program in 2022, Mark Pryor is heading half an hour north to lead Midway High School’s volleyball program.
The news was first reported by Robert Rochelle of D3VBWest.com on Wednesday morning, and confirmed by a press release from Midway Athletics later in the day.
Pryor went 333-188 as a college head coach, including an impressive 151-36 mark in seven seasons at UMHB. Additionally, he led the Crusader beach volleyball program to three consecutive AVCA D-III titles over the last three seasons, with UMHB capturing the 2026 championship in Gulf Shores, Alabama last Saturday in a 3-1 win over Berry.
“His experience, leadership, and track record of success at the highest levels of collegiate volleyball make him an outstanding fit for our program and community,” Midway Athletic Director Brad Shelton said of Pryor in a release. “We are confident he will continue to build on Midway’s tradition of excellence.”
In his time in Belton—which began after a strong run in five seasons at Division I North Dakota—Pryor posted the No. 1 career winning percentage of UMHB’s four head coaches in its D-III era and led The Cru to five 20-win seasons. That included a 27-2 campaign in 2023, as UMHB won the ASC regular season title for the second time under Pryor’s leadership.
He also coached the ASC Setter of the Year on four ocassions (Cory Jo Martin – 2019, Alli Pierce – 2021, Kendall Harrington – 2023, 2025), the 2023 ASC Co-MVP (Hannah Frasca), and two ASC Freshman of the Year award winners (Hannah Frasca – 2020, Kendall Harrington – 2023).
In beach volleyball, Pryor spearheaded the formation of UMHB’s program from the ground up, helping make The Cru one of the nation’s top small-college powers. In the third year of the program’s existence, UMHB won the 2024 AVCA Small College D-III championship as part of a 26-4 season. The Cru followed with a 21-12 campaign in 2025, and this past spring, went 25-7. In that three-year span, UMHB went 34-1 in home matches and beat several Division I and Division II opponents.
Pryor takes over a Midway program that won 11 district titles in 12 years and won 383 games under former head coach Ryan Porter, who stepped away from the program on March 30.
