By: Sophia Wang

Chelsey Lucas has been fired after she cut all 19 players from the Grambling State’s Women’s volleyball team. The Grambling State Administration originally was in support her decision, but they have launched an investigation into her decisions.

“The decision was made due to the determination of an internal investigation within the volleyball program,” the school said.

Lucas, who graduated from Grambling in 2007 and was the 2006 SWAC Defensive Player of the Year, coached the Arkansas Pine-Bluff for 3 years. Last season, the Grambling State played the Arkansas Pine-Bluff, and some players say that Lucas might’ve remained resentful from what happened.

“When we played them at home and we beat them, our school has like this chant, but at the end of the chant you say, like, the B-word,” senior Sheila Borders said. “I guess she thought I was calling them B-words, but, like, the whole school says it. They say it at basketball games and football games. It’s nothing personal.”

The team reported that after a few sessions with Lucas, they barely did any Volleyball related excercises, and instead did many running related punishments.

Lucas met with 12 scholarship players and told them that she would not be renewing their spots, and then told 7 walk-on players that she would not be renewing their spots. However, she did ask 4 former scholarship holders to stay on the team, but they all declined.

“My decision was to not bring back some of the current student-athletes on the team. While student-athletes are granted athletic scholarships, a scholarship is not guaranteed and not binding, per NCAA rules and regulations.” said Lucas

The national search for a new volleyball coach has begun.