MADISON, N.J. - Alyssa Broccoli has been chosen to guide the inaugural Drew University men's and women's volleyball teams, Director of Athletics Christa Racine has announced.
 
Broccoli will serve as Drew's first director of volleyball as well as the women's volleyball head coach. A search for the Rangers' first men's volleyball head coach will begin soon.
 
This past September, Drew announced it will be adding both men's and women's volleyball as varsity sports during the 2021-22 season.
 
Broccoli comes to the Forest following a highly-successful four-year run as the head women's volleyball coach at Hunter College, where she directed the Hawks to four consecutive City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) titles and four NCAA Division III tournament appearances. She also served as assistant athletic director at Hunter.
 
"I am beyond humbled to lead the volleyball programs at Drew University," said Broccoli. "I would like to thank Christa Racine and the rest of the search committee for believing in my vision and for appointing me to this position. I look forward to continuing my career not only as a coach, but also as a role model and a positive influence for the young women I coach.
 
"I believe Drew will be a great environment for me to enhance and empower the character of student-athletes on the court, in the classroom, and in preparation for life after college," added Broccoli. "I'm very excited to start this incredible journey. It is an unbelievable opportunity and I couldn't be more honored to accept it."
 
"We are extremely excited to have Alyssa lead us in developing our first volleyball teams," said Racine. "She brings a tremendous depth of experience as a coach and administrator, and her on-court success as the head coach at Hunter speaks for itself. We believe she is a great fit to lead our programs and we look forward to welcoming her to our staff."
 
Broccoli arrived at Hunter in 2016 and promptly led the Hawks to a perfect 8-0 record in the CUNYAC. Her team would go on to win the conference title to earn an automatic berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament. She was honored as the CUNYAC Coach of the Year and had a conference-leading five players named to the CUNYAC All-Star Team, including the player of the year.
 
Under Broccoli's watch, the Hawks would capture three more conference titles and NCAA tournament appearances. Her 2017 squad posted a record-breaking campaign, finishing 27-5 overall while tying the program record for most victories and finishing the season ranked seventh in the New York region.  Broccoli's athletes garnered a slew of awards, including an AVCA Honorable Mention All-American, two AVCA All-Region selections, five CUNYAC All-Stars, and the CUNYAC Rookie of the Year.
 
Broccoli guided the Purple and Gold to another tremendous season in 2018, as the Hawks assembled a 24-9 record and again achieved a No. 7 regional ranking. Her team received five CUNYAC All-Star selections, one AVCA All-Region pick, the CUNYAC Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, and had an NCAA Woman of the Year nominee. Broccoli earned her second CUNYAC Coach of the Year honor and was a recipient of the AVCA Thirty Under 30 award.
 
This past season, Broccoli steered Hunter to its fourth-straight conference title and five CUNYAC All-Star selections, including four first-team picks, and the libero of the year. In total, Hunter posted a stellar record of 85-47 (.644) under Broccoli while finishing an unblemished 39-0 versus CUNYAC opponents, counting postseason play. 
 
Away from the court, Broccoli performed numerous duties in her role as assistant athletic director. She assisted the compliance officer by overseeing all processes, procedures and systems necessary to direct the athletic department in complying with NCAA, CUNYAC and Hunter College rules and regulations for 18 varsity sports. She provided NCAA and CUNYAC rules, education, and interpretation for student-athletes, administrators, coaches, and support staff. She also planned, directed, and administered athletic competitions and events such as Homecoming, Division III week, National Girls & Women in Sports Day, and the annual athletic banquet.
 
"My former roles at Hunter College helped me evolve as both an administrator and as a coach, and helped prepare me to begin the journey of developing the volleyball program at Drew," said Broccoli. "I am extremely grateful for my time as a Hunter Hawk and wish the student-athletes and administration much future success. It has been an honor to coach there over the past four seasons."
 
Prior to Hunter, Broccoli was an assistant women's volleyball coach at Brandeis University during the 2015 season. She also served as a graduate assistant at UMass-Boston in 2014, helping lead the Beacons to the Little East Conference regular-season championship. She began her career as a college volleyball coach at SUNY New Paltz, where she worked as an assistant women's coach during the 2012 and 2013 seasons. She helped lead the Hawks to the finals of two NCAA regional tournaments and one State University of New York Athletic Conference regular-season championship.
 
Broccoli also boasts several years of experience as a volleyball coach at the high-school level, spending 2011 as an assistant at Pine Bush High School, while leading the Hudson Valley Alliance Volleyball Club as the head coach from 2010 to 2014.
 
As a three-year member of the women's volleyball team at The College of Saint Rose, Broccoli also participated in the NCAA Division II Leadership Academy and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. In 2009 she studied at Bond University in Queensland, Australia, competing on the women's indoor and beach volleyball squads.
 
Broccoli graduated from Saint Rose in 2010 with a B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Sport Management.