ASHLAND – Carlotta Kloppenburg-Pruitt's star continued to rise Monday when the Women's Basketball Coaches Association named made her its NAIA Coach of the Year.
Kloppenburg-Pruitt, Southern Oregon University's fourth-year head coach, guided the Raiders to a school-record 34 wins this season, capturing Cascade Collegiate Conference regular season and tournament championships.
The Raiders were ranked No. 2 in the final Top 25 poll. They were the only team to enter the NAIA National Tournament with an undefeated record.
SOU was also represented on the WBCA's NAIA All-America list by senior forward Morgan Baird, the CCC Player of the Year who averaged 15.7. points on 58% shooting and 4.3 rebounds.
The Raiders were eliminated in Saturday's NAIA quarterfinals by top-seeded Bethel (Tenn.), 74-70. They led by 14 points in the third quarter when they lost Baird to an injury.
SOU has qualified for the national tournament all four seasons under Kloppenburg-Pruitt. Her teams are 4-0 in the first round, but the Raiders hadn't been past the second since the NAIA's two divisions merged until this March.
"The WBCA is proud to announce Carlotta Kloppenburg-Pruitt as the recipient of the Pat Summitt Trophy presented to the WBCA NAIA Coach of the Year," WBCA Executive Director Danielle M. Donehew said. "Carlotta was chosen after leading her team to another exceptional season. The WBCA recognizes and applauds her leadership example, which can be seen in her student-athletes, institution and community."
Kloppenburg-Pruitt came to SOU after serving for three years as an assistant at San Jose State. With the Raiders, she has accrued a 115-20 record, three CCC Coach of the Year awards, and five conference championship trophies.
Dating back to the 2023-24 campaign, her teams have won 42 consecutive regular-season games. They've been top-seven in NAIA defensive rating three of four seasons and this year were seventh in offensive rating.
They're also a perennial NAIA Scholar Team. Last season, they were No. 9 on the WBCA's Academic Top 25 list with a combined 3.69 GPA.