LEXINGTON, Ky. – Simmons College Head Women's Volleyball Coach Danielle Soubliere (Howell, Mich.) is a recipient of the Thirty Under 30 Award from the American Volleyball Coaches Association, the AVCA announced today.
The honor is bestowed upon thirty of the up-and-coming volleyball coaches under 30 years old in the sport at all levels of the game. The AVCA, which focuses on leadership, advocacy and professional development, was created to advance the sport of volleyball. This is the AVCA's seventh year of presenting the 30 under 30 awards.
Soubliere guided the Sharks to a 9-2 mark in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference in just her first season and captured the number three seed in the league tournament for the program's highest-seeded appearance since 1999. Despite having the youngest roster in the GNAC, Soubliere oversaw a squad that became not only better, but much tougher under her watch in the final three weeks of the season, winning nine of its last 11 matches, including an eight-game win streak. Simmons advanced to the conference semifinals, before bowing out to the eventual champion. She coached the GNAC Rookie of the Year as well as a pair of All-Conference honorees.
Prior to her arrival to the Fenway, Soubliere enjoyed two wildly successful seasons as an Assistant Coach with Springfield College. She helped guide the Pride to a 53-14 record in two years, that included a pair of appearances in the NCAA Regional Tournament semifinals as well as a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) championship in 2013. Soubliere was instrumental in directing an offensive unit that led the nation with a .297 hitting percentage and produced crucial scouting reports that were a big part of Springfield's success on the court. Soubliere also gained valuable head coaching experience at the collegiate level, serving as the Pride's Junior Varsity team's mentor. A rising star on the college volleyball coaching scene, she received the Coaches 4 Coaches Scholarship Award from the American Volleyball Coaches Association in 2013.
The Michigan native has shown a love of teaching the game of volleyball with coaching stints at the Premier Volleyball Academy and at Club O.N.E. in Ohio as well as stops at the Youngstown State University Youth Camp, the Dearing Volleyball School and the University of Connecticut Volleyball camp.
Soubliere's passion for elite level volleyball came from her playing career at Youngstown State, where she was a Captain and starred for the Penguins during her junior campaign. The setter was the only player on the squad to see action in all 97 sets and started every match, while leading the Penguins with a .240 attack mark to go with 7.23 assists per set.
Soubliere graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Services from YSU and later earned a Master of Science degree in Physical Science from Springfield College.