Sparkill, N.Y. - When the St. Thomas Aquinas College Women's Volleyball team takes to the court at Aquinas Hall on Saturday, it will mark the return of the program for the first time in the NCAA Division II era. 

A fixture in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) until the year 2000, the Spartans constructed several successful women's volleyball teams that earned regional and national recognition through both regular season and postseason play and individual student-athlete performances.

Now, the 2023 squad comes to Sparkill with the hope of re-establishing the hard work, dedication and passion that those players and coaches who came before them once possessed and put on display each and every match.

Head Coach Robert Pichardo will lead the new St. Thomas Aquinas College program, after previously spending the last 18 seasons at the helm of the Ramapo College Women's Volleyball program in New Jersey. Pichardo led the Roadrunners to 15 NJAC Tournament appearances, including five championship match appearances and five semi-final match appearances, in addition to six ECAC’s tournament bids and one ECAC’s Tournament Title. He also guided Ramapo to the program's first NCAA berth during the 2016 season and holds an impeccable career coaching record that now stands at 408-231 in Women’s Volleyball, along with an overall record in Men’s Volleyball of 100-47, (508-278 Women’s & Men’s combined). At Ramapo he held a record of 308-187 in 17 seasons.

Joining Coach Pichardo for the inaugural NCAA D2 season are eleven talented student-athletes from three states (New York, Texasa and Florida) and three countries outide of the U.S. (Germany, Colombia and Puerto Rico). Transfers Kaylin Hamilton (DS - Bardonia, N.Y.), Lea Venghaus (S - Muenster, Germany), Aurivette Santos Bonilla (L/DS - Villalba, Puerto Rico) and Jaizahir Marrero-George (RS - Carolina, Puerto Rico) will look to bring much needed experience and leadership to a new and young group of Spartans.

Meanwhile, Dahiana Garcia Atuesta (OH/DS - Pereira, Colombia), Lorielys Ruiz (MB - Camuy, Puerto Rico), Allison Salinas (DS/L - Glen Cove, N.Y), Alana Rider (OH - Hyde Park, N.Y.), Natassia Romanoff (OH/RS - Haverstraw, N.Y.. Elizabeth Salmon (MH/RS - San Marcos, Texas) and Lauren Fields (MH - Tampa, Fla.) comprise the first freshman recruiting class that will be the foundation for years to come.

Assistant Coaches Megan Musselman and Jessica Haynes round out the coaching staff and will look to help Coach Pichardo guide and mentor the Spartans in their first year and beyond.

The action gets underway on Saturday, September 2, as St. Thomas Aquinas College hosts Pace University in its season-opening match at Aquinas Hall. First serve is set for 4:00 p.m.

2023 ECC Women's Volleyball Preseason Poll

( ) - first place votes