IRVINE, Calif. --- Ashlie Hain, starting setter on UC Irvine's 2003 and 2004 NCAA Tournament teams, has been named the women's volleyball program's head coach, announced by Athletic Director Mike Izzi.
"We are excited to have Ashlie return to her alma mater," said Izzi. "As a former player, Ashlie has first-hand experience of all that UCI has to offer to our current and future women's volleyball student-athletes both on and off the court. Her coaching career has made her a known figure on the California recruiting trail and her love for UCI, as well as her desire to run a successful program, is evident," continued Izzi.
Hain, a two-time team captain for the Anteaters, played at UCI from 2001-04 and is still the career leader in assists with 5,698. Hain is fifth in career digs (1,175) and holds the top three spots in the UCI single-season assist annals as well as dotting the record books in single-match assists.
With Hain orchestrating the offense, the Anteaters made back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances and guided the program to its first-ever post-season win, a 3-2 victory against Missouri in 2003.
"I want to thank (Senior Associate A.D.) Darrin Nelson, (Deputy A.D.) Paula Smith and Mike Izzi for giving me this opportunity," said Hain. "Being back on UC Irvine campus feels like coming home. UCI is an outstanding academic institution in one of the best locations in the country. There is so much to love about this university. It provides a great foundation for an exciting volleyball culture. I am pouring my heart and soul into this program on behalf of all the alumni and staff that have worked so hard to make this program thrive. This isn't just a job for me, it is more of a personal mission and I plan on being here a very long time."
She returns to UCI after coaching at American River College and serving as a Professor of Kinesiology since 2009. There, she took over a program that had won just three matches and led the Beavers to consecutive Big 8 Conference titles in 2013 and 2014. The 2013 squad advanced to the state championship finals and the program has been ranked in the top eight in the state the last six years.
In 2014, Hain's team reached the NorCal Regional semifinal and ended the year with a 22-7 record, a No. 3 ranking in the state, and a 13-1 conference mark.
Hain amassed 127 wins in six years at ARC and was voted the Conference Coach of the Year as well as the Northern California Coach of the Year in 2013.
She began her coaching career at Moorpark College in 2007, where she was the associate head coach and helped the program win two Western State Conference Championships while earning a state ranking of fourth. The Raiders were 42-7 during Hain's two-year tenure with the program.
At the club level, Hain served as the head coach of the Northern California Volleyball Club, where she led her team to a fourth-place finish in the Gold NVCA Power League. She also coached at the SynergyForce Volleyball Club, mentoring a pair of pre-season high school All-Americans. Hain led the 16-1s team to a fifth-place finish at Nationals in 2013 and last season guided the 17-1s squad to a first-place finish at Northern California Champions and a Far Westerns National Qualifier Open Division title.
She spent two years in the professional ranks, playing in in Stuttgart, Germany, and Split, Croatia.
Hain prepped at La Reina High School, where she was a two-time All-CIF first-team honoree and two-time All-Tri Valley League Most Valuable Player. She led the team to four league titles and a CIF championship.
A two-time Big West scholar-athlete and UCI's 2004 Lauds and Laurels Athlete of the Year, Hain graduated cum laude from UCI with a B.S. in psychology and a minor in management in 2004. She received a master's degree in physical education from Azusa Pacific in 2009.
Hain and her husband, Erik, have one son, Lincoln.
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