Plymouth State University

Joan Forge was named the fourth coach in the history of the women’s volleyball program in January 2018. A three-time LEC Coach of the Year (2019, 2021, 2024), Forge has guided the Panthers to four regular-season titles, six 20-win seasons, the 2025 LEC Tournament title and an NCAA Tournament appearance.
 
Forge’s squad tied the school record with 32 wins in 2019, posted the program’s first undefeated run through the LEC in 2021 and reached the LEC Tournament championship match in each of the last four seasons, capped by the program’s second title in 2025.
 
Despite being picked fourth in the LEC Preseason Coaches’ Poll in 2025, Plymouth State dethroned two-time defending champion UMass Dartmouth in the title match to reach the NCAA Tournament for the second time in program history. The Panthers advanced to the NCAA Tournament First Round before falling to No. 12 Ithaca.
 
The 2024 team opened the season with an 11-match winning streak and defeated UMass Dartmouth in five sets in the regular-season finale to capture the regular-season title. PSU also advanced to the LEC Tournament championship match.
 
After COVID reduced the 2020 season to just four contests, Forge piloted the Panthers to an unbeaten run through the LEC regular season in 2021 to claim the top seed for the LEC Tournament. Plymouth State earned several conference postseason honors, including Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year and a pair of All-LEC First Team selections.
 
Two of the program’s three All-Americans played under Forge, as Nora Ryan ’23 ‘24G and Ella Koelb ‘26G earned AVCA Honorable Mention All-America honors in 2024 and 2025, respectively. Overall, she has mentored one LEC Defensive Player of the Year, two LEC Rookies of the Year and two LEC Offensive Players of the Year, along with 18 All-LEC selections in her eight seasons on the sidelines.
 
An alumna of Plymouth State (B.S. ‘77, M.Ed. ’00), Forge has also coached varsity softball and basketball during her career, amassing more than 1,000 varsity wins across the three sports. She spent 37 years as a physical education teacher at Ashland Public School, Gilford Middle High School and Gilford High School before retiring from teaching in 2014.
 
Before joining the staff at Plymouth State, Forge spent 42 years coaching high school sports in New Hampshire, including 33 years as the head volleyball coach at Gilford High School. She posted a 542-83 record and retired as the winningest high school volleyball coach in New Hampshire. She owns New Hampshire state records with 15 state titles, including nine straight championships, a 92-match winning streak and 24 consecutive trips to the semifinals. In her 33 years as a head volleyball coach, her teams reached the semifinals 30 times.
 
Forge was inducted into the Plymouth State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2002, the NHIAA Coaches Hall of Fame in 2001, the NHIAA Hall of Fame in 2010 and the Glen Rock High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012. She was named New Hampshire Volleyball Coaches Association (NHVCA) Coach of the Year eight times and National Federation Coaches Association Northeast Sectional Volleyball Coach of the Year twice. She also coached 14 New Hampshire Volleyball Players of the Year, two Boston Globe Scholastic/Athletic Players of the Year and one Gatorade Player of the Year.
 
Forge is the owner and director of Pass Set Crush Volleyball Camp and also runs Panther Volleyball Camp and Panther Volleyball Clinics at Plymouth State.
 
Forge and her husband, Rick, also member of the PSU Athletic Hall of Fame, reside in Moultonborough.