AMHERST, N.Y. - Eli Irizarry, the Head Women's Volleyball Coach at Daemen University for the past three seasons, will step down from his position effective January 10, 2025, Vice President of Athletics Traci Murphy announced today. 

"I want to thank Coach Irizarry for the leadership and vision he's provided to our women's volleyball program for the last three years," Murphy said. "The accomplishments our program has achieved during Eli's tenure speak for themselves and illustrate what a talented coach he is. We wish him the very best in whatever his future may hold." 

Irizarry became the ninth head coach in program history in 2022, following a two-year stint as an assistant coach under the leadership of Stephanie Albano. In his three seasons at the helm, the Puerto Rico native led the team to a 63-21 record, winning three East Coast Conference regular season titles and two conference tournament crowns while making three NCAA tournament appearances. The Wildcats posted an impressive 31-3 record in conference matches during his tenure. 

Irizarry played a significant role in the recruitment and development of student-athletes responsible for 12 First Team All-ECC selections, eight All-Region selections by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, and six Academic All-District honorees. He also coached players who were named the ECC Player of the Year (Maggie Burns, 2022), Setter of the Year (Olivia Alessi, 2022), Rookie of the Year (Charlotte Koerber, 2023) and Libero of the Year (Jasmine Brundage, 2023 & 2024). Irizarry was named the ECC Coach of the Year following the 2022 campaign. 

Irizarry cited personal reasons for his desire to step down, and said, "The decision to step away from the program and Daemen University is a difficult one. I have enjoyed the five years I've spent here, and all the relationships that I've built. I want to thank Stephanie Albano for bringing me to Daemen, and Traci Murphy for the confidence she showed in me to lead the program, as well as all the players that have come through during my time. Our success is due to the sacrifices they made to make Daemen Volleyball one of the very best Division II programs in the East." 

A national search will commence immediately to identify the program's next head coach. All inquiries about the program can be directed to the sport supervisor, Mike Miranto, Senior Associate Athletics Director for Communications and Operations.