American International College

Eli Irizarry was named Head Women's Volleyball Coach on January 29, 2025. He will lead all aspects of the program.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: 
Years: 2025-Present (Head Coach)
Career Record: 81-29, 28-5 conf.
Record at AIC: 18-8, 7-2 NE10
NE10 Elite 24: 1 (Claudia Flores Marrero, 2025)
AVCA All-East Region First Team: 2
AVCA All-East Region Honorable Mention: 1
NE10 All-Tournament Team: 1
NE10 All-Conference First Team: 1
NE10 All-Conference Second Team: 1
NE10 All-Conference Third Team: 3

PRIOR STOPS:
Daemen University: Head Coach (2022-24), Graduate Assistant Coach (2020-22)

AIC's first season with Irizarry at the helm saw the team finish third in the NE10 regular season despite a season-ending injury to the reigning East Region Player of the Year Victoria Mendez just prior to the start of the season. Five players earned All-Conference accolades, including a First-Team selection for Janelys Perez Cortes and a Third-Team honor for Daniella Russo-Lolas, who was moved into the setter role after playing her entire career as a libero. Both Paola Soto Burgos and Perla Rosa hit major milestones of 1000 kills and 1500 digs, respectively, and earned AVCA All-Region honors. The team made a run to the NE10 Championship match for the fourth time in five years, and earned another NCAA Tournament berth.

Irizarry brings an incredible volleyball resume to the Henry Butova Gymnasium. He coached at Daemen University from August 2020 through January 2025, rising from graduate assistant coach through his first two academic years to become the Wildcats head coach. Daemen won the East Coast Conference Regular Season title in all three years he led the way, and went undefeated in the ECC to win the 2022 and 2023 ECC Tournaments as well; as a result of their dominance, the Wildcats made the NCAA Tournament each of his three seasons.

His players had tremendous individual success as well, with a dozen First-Team All-ECC honorees, nine American Volleyball Coaches Association All-East Region selections, and five major ECC awards including the 2022 ECC Player of the Year and 2023 and 2024 ECC Libero of the Year. He was named ECC Coach of the Year in 2022 as well.

Nor is Irizarry a stranger to the City of Homes, as a 2019 graduate of Springfield College. While playing four seasons with the Pride, Irizarry reached the NCAA Division III Final Four every season, winning it all in 2017 and 2018. He earned AVCA All-American status and was named the Off-The-Block Division 3 National Libero of the Year in 2017, and was named to the 2018 NCAA Division III Championship All-Tournament Team.

Irizarry’s experience also includes membership on the AVCA DII Head Coaches Connection Committee and the East Region’s Regional Advisory Committee.

Irizarry earned a bachelor’s degree in healthcare management from Springfield in 2019, and a master’s of leadership and innovation from Daemen in 2022.