Bio

At Simpson

• Completed fourth season in 2023
• Record of 33-54 (14-18 A-R-C) in first four seasons
• Has led Simpson to the conference tournament each of the last three seasons after a seven-year postseason drought
• Guided the Storm to the conference tournament semifinals for the first time since 2010 in 2023
• Hired on July 1, 2020 as the program's ninth head coach
• Ranks fifth all-time in career wins
• Also serves as the head men's volleyball coach at Simpson

Player Achievement Under Palea

• All-Conference: Emily Williams (2023), Jessica Jacobs (2021, 2022), Marissa Salber (2022)
• Honorable Mention All-Conference: Iman Ghalibaf (2021, 2022, 2023), Peyton Mitchell (2023), Marissa Salber (2021), Ariana Martinez (2020)
• CSC Academic All-District: Rachel Hardwick (2022, 2023), Iman Ghalibaf (2023), Peyton Mitchell (2023), Ellie Gray (2022), Jessica Jacobs (2022), Marissa Salber (2022)
• Academic All-Conference (29)

Recent Team Accomplishments Under Palea

• 2023: recorded double-digit victories for the second year in a row... earned highest tournament seeding since 2010 at No. 4... hosted the opening round of the league tournament for the first time since 2009 and advanced to the semifinals for the first time in 13 seasons
• 2022: tallied 13 wins (most since 2014) and registered first winning season since 2013... led the league with 430 kills during A-R-C play... ranked top 3 in the conference in overall points per set (14.9), aces per set (2.02), total aces (190) and opponent hitting percentage (.147)
• 2021: qualified for the conference tournament for the first time in eight seasons thanks to four A-R-C victories (most since 2010)

Before Simpson

• Served as the player development director and head coach for the 15-18 team at Iowa Powerplex in Waukee, Iowa 
• Spent the previous seven years in Cedar Falls, Iowa as the associate director and 15-18 coach for Club Iowa Juniors
• Also helped coach Northern Iowa during that span... over the course of the two seasons he was an assistant, the Panthers went 63-5 and clinched two NCAA Tournament slots... UNI reached the second round in 2011
• Served as the men’s and women’s head JV coach at Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa for four years
• Coached for Club Wahine and Highline High School in Burien, Wash. from 2002-05

Playing Career

• Was a setter and libero at Graceland for four years
• Competed for Seattle University while receiving his associates degree

Year-by-Year at Simpson