A look at the people whose connection to CMU extends far beyond their time as student-athletes.
The only landlocked team to win a National Championship in beach volleyball is made up of a coaching staff that was once Maverick student-athletes themselves. Colorado Mesa University (CMU) first introduced beach volleyball as an NCAA sport in 2016. Coaching the team today is David Skaff, a former CMU graduate, club men’s volleyball competitor and international volleyball intern, and Ara Norwood, an indoor and beach volleyball student-athlete alumna.
After building a relationship with Tim Foster, Skaff was offered a position that “you can’t turn down,” according to Skaff. The position was the inaugural head coach of CMU Beach Volleyball. Although Skaff played on a court in college, he was around the sand during his Olympic Internship with Team USA in 2008.
Skaff graduated from CMU in 2011 with a bachelor's degree in exercise science. Now in his 12th season as head coach, he has led the program to tremendous success since building it from scratch in 2016, including two fifth-place finishes, a fourth-place finish, a third-place finish, a second-place finish and a national championship in 2022 at the AVCA Small College Beach Championships.
The program’s ascent has earned notice from the highest levels of Beach Volleyball in Colorado. Tom Davenport is the owner of Volleyball Of The Rockies (VOTR) and hosts most of the state's major beach events at The Island, their 18-court beach volleyball facility in Denver. VOTR has committed to providing every home-grown CMU Beach Volleyball player an annual scholarship of $1,500 with 2026 contributions totaling $15,000 spread over 10 Colorado-raised athletes.
“As one of the largest volleyball organizations in the nation, VOTR is proud to support CMU Beach Volleyball,” said Davenport. “We believe the College Beach Volleyball experience is one of the most unique and formative team environments in College Sports. Working with CMU allows us to grow the sport with local beach athletes in the Rocky Mountain Region.
The CMU Beach partnership with VOTR demonstrates Skaff's ability to build statewide support for CMU’s Beach program.
"CMU Mavericks should be proud of the program they’ve built, and we are excited to support Colorado-born beach volleyball players annually through the VOTR GIVES scholarship program. The funds for this program are generated from player memberships in our region so this is truly a program supported by thousands of Colorado volleyball players," said Davenport.
Ara Norwood Coaching at The Island in Aurora, ColoradoJoining Skaff on the coaching staff is former Maverick standout, Ara Norwood. Norwood played both indoor and beach volleyball for the Mavericks from 2017 to 2022, obtaining her bachelor’s and master’s degree in sport management. Norwood has numerous Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) honors, along with national success in both of her respective sports.
After graduation, Norwood decided to pursue coaching because of her passion for the game.
“I love the sport,” said Norwood. “I love being outside; it’s a very chill sport, but you can also compete at a very high level. Playing for Skaff, I mean we got to go all over the place.”
Few programs at CMU compete against as wide-ranging a schedule as beach volleyball. The Mavericks regularly take on Division I opponents, including Arizona State, Arizona, Hawaii, Oregon, Boise State and more.
“I like seeing the maturity of the program over time just going, 'Hey, this is who we compete with,'” said Skaff. “I like the balance that Division II has. I like the development of athletes that you get at this level.”
For Skaff and Norwood, building a successful program has never been solely about wins and championships. Their shared experience as former Mavericks has helped create a culture centered on development, accountability and passion for the sport. As CMU continues to compete against some of the nation's top programs, the coaching duo hopes to return the Mavericks to the national stage while leaving a lasting impact on the student-athletes who follow in their footsteps.