Men's Volleyball | 5/27/2022 10:00:00 AM
ELMIRA, NY – Ryan McDonough '19, a four-year member of the Elmira College men's volleyball program as a student-athlete, has been elevated to the head men's volleyball coach for the Soaring Eagles.
McDonough returned to his alma mater as a coach after wrapping up one of the most successful careers on the court in program history. He spent two seasons as the volunteer assistant coach for the women's and men's volleyball programs before earning the title of associate head coach for the 2021-22 academic year.
"I envision great things for our men's volleyball program under Ryan's leadership," said EC Director of Athletics
Rhonda Faunce. "Ryan aligns extremely well with our mission, vision, and philosophy, and we are expecting great things as the program evolves over time. Ryan brings a wealth of experience as a Division III student-athlete along with his time here at Elmira as a coach."
The Lindenhurst, New York, native, was a four-year starter for the Soaring Eagles and a two-time All-United Volleyball Conference (UVC) honoree. McDonough transformed into one of the most successful attackers to don the Purple and Gold, finishing his career ranked first in aces (175), third in kills (1,197), and fifth in kills per set (2.51).
He brings previous coaching experience after working with the Long Island Boys Volleyball Club 14-U team. As a Soaring Eagle, McDonough also assisted in running a plethora of skills camps with youth from the Southern Tier.
"I'm extremely honored to have this opportunity to take over a program that has given so much to me as a student-athlete," McDonough stated. "Being able to lead this group of young men at my alma mater is a dream come true for me. This program is very important to me, and I am determined to continue its success for years to come."
McDonough was integral in overseeing the men's volleyball team qualify for its first United Volleyball Conference Tournament since 2018 as the 2022 squad finished with a 17-13 record with historic wins against NCAA DII member D'Youville and nationally ranked St. John Fisher.
The Soaring Eagles opened the 2022 season by tying the best record to open a year (6-1) in program history following a 3-0 win over DII Independent D'Youville, while hitting over .300 as a team on 13 occasions throughout the season, a mark the Soaring Eagles accomplished over the four previous seasons combined. The Purple & Gold also set the single-season program record for hitting percentage (.268) and recorded the second-most kills in a season with 1,216.
McDonough graduated from Elmira in the spring of 2019 with a bachelor's degree in Psychology. He is currently working on attaining his master's degree in Education in June from Elmira.
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The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit
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