LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – One of the most decorated coaches in Little Rock Athletics history is adding another major honor to her résumé. The Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame announced Sunday that Trojan head volleyball coach
Van Compton has been elected for induction into the 2026 Class. Compton will be formally inducted on April 10, at Oaklawn in Hot Springs.
"I am so honored to be inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame," Compton said. "To be included with so many of the top names in Arkansas sports history is so special to me being a native Arkansan. It is also very important to me to represent Little Rock Athletics. This wouldn't be possible without my players and staff over the years."
Compton recently completed her 38th season leading the Trojans, reaching the 600-win milestone at Little Rock last month. She currently holds a record of 603-527 with the Trojans and 675-607, overall.
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Van Compton's induction into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame is a richly deserved honor," said Little Rock Director of Athletics
Frank M. Cuervo. "For nearly four decades, Coach Compton has embodied excellence in every sense — building a championship program, elevating the profile of Little Rock Athletics, and impacting the lives of countless student-athletes. Her competitive success speaks for itself, but it is her commitment to developing young people and representing this institution with integrity that truly sets her apart. We are enormously proud of her, and thrilled to see her legacy recognized on a statewide stage."
During her storied tenure, Compton's teams have won four Sun Belt regular-season championships, five Sun Belt Tournament titles and earned five NCAA Tournament berths. She has built one of the most successful programs in the region, leaving a lasting legacy both on and off the court.
"I think it's more important to me that I make young people win on the court, off the court, and in their adult life," Compton said last month after securing her 600th win. "Becoming good citizens — that's what matters most. I've had great players, great assistant coaches, and great backing from the administration. I'm just a small piece of the puzzle."
Compton's 2014 squad remains the gold standard in Little Rock volleyball history. The Trojans went 30-5 overall and became the first Division I program to finish 20-0 in Sun Belt play. Little Rock owned the nation's longest winning streak late in the season at 25 straight matches and defeated No. 16 seed Kansas in five sets for the program's first NCAA Tournament win. The Trojans closed the year ranked No. 24 in the final AVCA Coaches Poll — the first Top-25 ranking in school history. Compton was named Sun Belt Coach of the Year and AVCA Southwest Region Coach of the Year.
Her dominance in the late 1990s remains unmatched in Sun Belt history. Little Rock is the only program to win three consecutive Sun Belt Tournament championships (1996-98), each resulting in NCAA Tournament appearances. The Trojans added additional regular-season and tournament titles in 1999 and 2000 to continue one of the most successful eras in program history.
A native of Forrest City, Ark., and a graduate of Arkansas State, Compton began her career as a high school teacher before coaching women's basketball and volleyball at Arkansas College (Now Lyon College). She joined Little Rock Athletics in 1986 as the women's basketball coach, later taking over the volleyball program in 1988.
She quickly rebuilt the program, guiding the 1989 Trojans to a 27-11 record — a 21-win improvement — and posted a 21-3 mark the following year. When Little Rock transitioned to the Sun Belt Conference in 1991, Compton's teams immediately became a force.
With nearly four decades of excellence, championship banners, and hundreds of lives impacted,
Van Compton now adds a well-earned Hall of Fame induction to her remarkable career.
