Posted with permission, article and pictures, courtesy of University of Hawaii Hilo
Longtime UH Hilo volleyball assistant and Big Island Sports Hall of Fame inductee Chris Leonard was named the Vulcans interim coach in 2019 and become the full-time leader heading into the 2020 season. For the Fall of 2022, he officially enters into his fourth season at the helm.
Leonard became the seventh volleyball coach in the history of the storied Vulcan program. The Oahu native replaced Gene Krieger who led the program in 2017 and 2018.
The Vulcans went 23-8 in 2019 and qualified for the NCAA postseason for the first time since 2011. The Vulcans were 18-4 in the Pacific West Conference, good for second place. The Vulcans split matches with conference champions Azusa Pacific, took then No. 2-nationally ranked Western Washington to five sets, and at one point in the season won 12 consecutive matches.
Leonard’s team might have been even better in the spring of 2021. UH Hilo went 13-1 in the Hawaii Pod, playing against conference powers Chaminade and Hawaii Pacific, and finished the shortened season 14-2 after splitting with perrenial west region title contender Alaska Anchorage.
In the Fall of 2021, the Vulcans finished 17-7 overall and fourth in the PacWest Conference. The volleyball squad worked hard on the court and in the community receiving the UH Hilo Community Engagement Award with 231 hours of community service.
HAWAI‘I HILO WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL RECORD
| SEASON | TEAM RECORD | NOTES |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 23-8 Overall 18-4 PacWest | NCAA Division II West Regional |
| 2020-21 | 14-2 Overall 13-1 PacWest | Shortened COVID Spring Season |
| 2021 | 17-7 Overall 14-6 PacWest | PacWest WVB PacWest Scholar Athlete of the Year |
| 2022 | ||
| 3 Seasons | 54-17 Overall 45-11 PacWest | 0 Championships 1 Major Awards |
ALMA MATER
» Punahou School (Hawai‘i)
» Kailua High School (Hawai‘i) 1987
» Arizona State University (Tempe, Ariz.)
» University of Hawai‘i
PERSONAL
» Resides in Hilo with his wife. They have two daughters.
» President and General Manager of New West Broadcasting Corp., a Hawai‘i-based organization that owns and operates five radio stations, including KWXX (94.7 FM) and AM 670 KPUA, the official station for UH Hilo basketball.
COACHING
2019-Present: University of Hawai‘i at Hilo
2014-2019: University of Hawai‘i at Hilo (Assistant)
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