Jorge Collazo is in his first season as an assistant coach for the Lincoln Memorial University men's volleyball program after serving as a graduate assistant during the 2021 season.
Collazo helped LMU claim 12 wins and their third IVA championship in four years (there was no 2020 champion due to the COVID-19 global pandemic). Finishing the season strong with nine wins in ten contest (the only loss being a five-setter), the Railsplitters swept their way through the IVA tournament, defeating host Queens in a taut three-set affair. At the conclusion of the event, Johnansen Negron was named Most Oustanding Player while Pedro Carvalho, AJ Risavy, and Justin Sharfenaker were also named to the all-tournament team. Midway through April, Carvalho and Risavy were named to the All-Independent team, with Sharfenaker named Freshman of the Year and head coach John Cash selected as co-Coach of the Year by Off the Block.
A two-year letter winner and three-year men's volleyball team member at fellow NCAA Division II McKendree, Collazo returned to LMU after competing for the Railsplitters as a true freshman in 2017. A native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Collazo played at Lake Nona High School in Orlando, Florida, before taking his talents to Harrogate. In his lone season at LMU, Collazo led the Railsplitters in digs (248) and averaged the 10th-most nationally per set (2.38). He also handed out 40 assists and tallied a trio of kills while playing in all 27 matches.
Collecting Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) All-Academic honors as a sophomore in 2018, Collazo recorded 36 digs for the Bearcats over two seasons at McKendree. The libero saw the court for action in 10 matches and competed in 22 sets, averaging 1.64 digs per set.
In November of 2020, Collazo was a recipient of the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Diversity Award and was provided the opportunity to participate in a series of educational, developmental, and relationship-building experiences in conjunction with the 2020 AVCA Virtual Convention.
Collazo graduated with his bachelor's degree in pre-medicine from McKendree in December of 2020 and is pursuing his master's degree in public administration with a healthcare policy track at LMU.
