Dakota Pruiss chosen to lead Alfred University volleyball program
ALFRED, NY —
Paul Vecchio, director of athletics at Alfred University, announces the appointment of
Dakota Pruiss as the Saxons' new head women's volleyball coach.
Pruiss replaces Amanda Hubbard, who left AU after two seasons following the 2016 season. She comes to AU from SUNY New Paltz, where he was an assistant women's volleyball coach for three seasons (2014-16).
"I am pleased to welcome Dakota to our Saxon athletics family," Vecchio said. "It was clear from the beginning of my conversations with her that she was a perfect fit for both the needs of our volleyball program as well as our AU campus and community."
"I am extremely humbled and honored to have been offered the opportunity to coach the Saxons' volleyball team," Pruiss added. "Throughout the interview process, I fell in love with the community and campus of Alfred University, along with the mission and vision of the Athletic Department. I look forward to begin working with our student-athletes on roster and cannot wait to get into the gym with them."
New Paltz enjoyed tremendous success during Pruiss's tenure there, compiling a record of 72-31 record (24-3 in league play) in three seasons. The team won a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) championship in 2014, the second in program history, and was SUNYAC championship tournament runners-up in 2015 and 2016.
Pruiss, who coached the defense at New Paltz, helped guide 11 New Paltz players to all-conference honors, including two league Players of the Year, a Co-Player of the Year, a Rookie of the Year, and a Defensive Player of the Year.
Two of the squads Pruiss helped coach – the 2014-15 and 2015-16 teams – earned American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Awards.
In addition to coaching at the collegiate level, Pruiss has also been active as a coach with Iroquois-Empire Volleyball Association (IREVA) High Performance, a regional volleyball program run through USA Volleyball, which covers Eastern New York. Since 2014, she has served as assistant coach for IREVA High Performance, mentoring some of the top high school players in the state, and since January 2016 has been the organization's assistant director. In the summer of 2015, she was head coach of IREVA's women's professional team, which competed in the Premier Volleyball League.
Since 2011, she has served as head coach of the Hudson Valley Alliance (HVA) Club youth team, and since 2015 has served HVA as assistant club director.
Pruiss is a graduate of SUNY Potsdam, where she earned bachelor's and master's degrees in mathematics in 2014. While at Potsdam, she was a member of the women's volleyball team, serving as team captain in 2012 and 2013.
The AU volleyball program has enjoyed a resurgence over the last two years. Last fall, the Saxons won 12 matches, the most since the team won 26 in 2000, and went 3-5 in Empire 8 Conference play, with the three league wins tied for the most since the league's inception in 1999. Nine of 11 players (five of six starters) are set to return in 2017, including first-year
Amber Smith (Penfield, NY/Webster Schroeder), the Empire 8 Rookie of the Year and a First Team Empire 8 and ECAC North All-Star.
Vecchio is confident the team's success will continue to reach new heights under Pruiss's guidance.
"Dakota's strengths are her passion, her volleyball knowledge and her ability to build lasting relationships with her student-athletes that develop them both on and off the court," he said. "Given the growth in the past few years within our program, and her ability to recruit students to AU, I believe we are poised and ready to be competing for post-season opportunities in the near future."
Pruiss said her goals include overseeing continued growth and success in the program, with an eye on earning a postseason berth. AU last competed in the postseason in 2000, when the Saxons played in the New York State championship tournament.
"My biggest expectation for this program is to keep moving forward. The progress made in 2016 was a huge step for Alfred University volleyball and I fully believe we can build upon that success in 2017 and beyond," Pruiss said. "A goal of mine is to compete in the post-season for the Empire 8 and look to make a name for ourselves within the conference and within the region as a whole."