Payne steps down as Padua AD, volleyball coach

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WILMINGTON — Angel Payne, who has been the athletic director and varsity volleyball coach at Padua Academy in Wilmington for the past 11 years, has resigned from those posts, head of school Cindy Mann announced Monday morning.

According to Mann, Payne stepped down to pursue “new possibilities of service.”

Payne has not been at the all-girls school for approximately two months, and school officials would not disclose the reason for her absence.

During her tenure as volleyball coach, the Pandas were a perennial top-five program in Delaware, reaching the state finals four times (2003-05, 2009), falling each time to rival Ursuline Academy. Under her guidance, the school established golf and tennis as varsity sports and crew as a club sport.

Mann said over the next several weeks a search committee will be formed to find the next athletic director and volleyball coach. Until then, Joe Brown, the soccer coach and associate athletic director, and Lauren DiSabatino, junior varsity volleyball coach and assistant athletic director, will be the interim athletic administrative team.