Mary Kate Boland Named Head Women's Volleyball Coach

by Sports Information
1/20/03

LANCASTER, PA -- Franklin & Marshall College Director of Athletics Dr. Bob Bunnell has announced the hiring of former All-Region setter Mary Kate Boland '01 as the 10th head coach in Diplomats' volleyball history.

A 1998-2000 American Volleyball Coaches Association All Mid-Atlantic Region player, she averaged 10.19 assists per game to lead the Diplomats to a school record 34-6 mark, a perfect 10-0 conference record, the Centennial Conference Tournament title and a "Sweet 16" finish in the NCAA Division III Volleyball Tournament as a senior.

Overall, she led F&M to the 1999 and 2000 Centennial Conference Championships and four consecutive NCAA Division III Tournament appearances while recording a 120-32 record from 1997-2000, the best four-year mark in program history.

A 2000 and 1999 first and 1998 second team All-Centennial Conference setter, Boland is ranked among the top ten in program history in digs (fourth, 1433), service aces (third, 241), blocks (seventh, 159) and assists (first, 4062). In addition, she is ranked 11th in career kills with 703, as Boland was one of two players in program history to rank in the Top 10 in five statistical categories at graduation.

Co-captain of the Diplomats in 2000, Boland holds school assists records for a game (23, vs. Roberts Wesleyan, 10/27/00), a season (1356 in 1998), a career (4062) a four game match (63, vs. Pomona Pitzer, 9/15/00) and a five game match (75, vs. Grove City, 10/3/98). Further, she holds the Centennial Conference record for career assists.

The daughter of Villa Maria Academy head volleyball coach Joe Boland, she led Villa Maria to the 1996 PIAA District I and State Championships at setter to earn Daily Local News Player of the Year honors. In addition, Villa Maria earned three consecutive District I championships (1994-1996) as Boland was named to the PIAA All-State Volleyball Team in 1995 and 1996.

Since 2001, she has served as an assistant coach at Villa Maria working with the setters and drafting scouting reports on opponents. In 2002, Villa Maria won the PIAA District I and State Championships.

She takes over a Diplomats' program which finished the season with a 28-10 record while placing third at the F&M Scramble and the Messiah and Colorado College Tournaments, and first at the F&M and Scranton Invitational.

In Centennial Conference play, the Diplomats concluded the season 9-1 to finish second in the CC regular season standings and advance to the Conference title match.

Boland's appointment marks her second coaching stint at the College as she served as men's volleyball club head coach in 1999 after working as an assistant coach in 1998. During her two-years with the men's program, she led the team to two consecutive MACVC tournament appearances.

A native of Wayne, Pennsylvania, Boland graduated from Franklin & Marshall College in the spring of 2001 with a degree in Business Administration.