Cal State San Marcos Athletics is pleased to announce that
Andrea Leonard has been named Head Women's Volleyball Coach.
Leonard spent six years as Head Coach at Boston College before her most recent stint as an assistant coach at San Diego State. She will lead CSUSM women's volleyball program as it enters its first season of competition this fall.
“To attract someone with Andrea's experience as the Head Coach at Boston College is unbelievable,” said CSUSM Athletic Director Tom Seitz. “We are thrilled to have her. The future of the new Cougar Volleyball looks very bright.”
In her time at Boston College, Leonard led the program to new heights almost immediately. After being named Head Coach in 2003, she oversaw the program's first 20-win season in 2004, a campaign that included winning the first annual Big East Challenge and ending Notre Dame's 58-game win streak, culminating in a trip to the Big East Tournament Finals. In 2007, Leonard brought in a recruiting class ranked 28th in the nation, and in 2009 helped BC record its first-ever 10-match win streak.
Academically, her players excelled, as the program posted a 100% graduation rate from 2003 to 2008. She coached 10 ACC Academic All Conference selections, 2 ACC Post Grad Scholarship recipients, and three ACC Sportsmanship Award winners.
“This is such an exciting opportunity,” commented Leonard. “There's a great group of kids here and I'm looking forward to helping them develop as student-athletes. To me, there's nothing more exciting than being the first to do something, and we're looking forward to putting San Marcos volleyball on the map.”
As a player, Leonard was a four-year scholarship student-athlete at Northern Michigan University, helping the team to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight and serving as co-captain in 1990. She began her coaching career in 1992 as a student assistant coach at that same University before becoming an Assistant Coach at Ferris State University in 1996. She joined the University of New Hampshire as the Associate Head Coach in 1998, helping that team win two America East Conference Championship titles before moving on Boston College in 2003.
Leonard holds her Bachelor of Science Degree in Health Education with a minor in Biology from Northern Michigan, and is currently enrolled in Woods School of Advancing Studies at Boston College.
Due to the recent expansion and continued success of his 951 Elite Volleyball, Dennis Palpallatoc regretfully cannot serve as Women's Head Volleyball Coach at Cal State San Marcos.
