NORTHFIELD, Minn. - The St. Olaf College Athletic Department and Deputy Athletic Director/Senior Woman Administrator
Kelly Mahlum announced the hiring of
Alicia Wood as the 11th head coach of the St. Olaf volleyball program on Tuesday.
Wood comes to St. Olaf after spending the previous four seasons as the head women's volleyball coach at Illinois College in Jacksonville, Ill. In her final season leading the Lady Blues, Wood was named the 2023 Midwest Conference Coach of the Year after guiding her team to a second-place finish in the regular season and a runner-up finish in the MWC Tournament.
"We are extremely excited to have Alicia join us on the Hill," Mahlum said. "She brings a strong drive for success, a focus on building relationships, and a student-athlete-first mentality that will foster a championship culture. I am confident that the volleyball program will continue to rise under Alicia's leadership and am excited to see her vision for this program come to fruition."
Last fall, Wood led Illinois College to an 18-13 overall record, including a 7-1 mark in conference play, culminating in the program's first appearance in the championship match of the MWC Tournament in over two decades.The Lady Blues qualified for the MWC Tournament in each of Wood's three full seasons after 2020 season was canceled nine matches in due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I am beyond excited to become the next head coach for the St. Olaf volleyball program," Wood said. "I would like to thank Deputy Athletic Director Kelly Mahlum for believing in my vision and trusting in my abilities to continue on the legacy of competitive excellence for Ole volleyball. I was most drawn to this opportunity because I believe St. Olaf fosters an environment where student-athletes are challenged at a very high level academically and athletically. I also want to thank our department and campus community for allowing me to feel welcomed and supported. I am eager for the opportunity to join the national prowess of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and am looking forward to leading our young women to another competitive season vying for a conference title. Go Oles! "
Over three-plus seasons at Illinois College, Wood's teams won a total of 46 matches, picking up at least 11 victories and five MWC wins in all three complete seasons while going a combined 18-6 against conference foes in the regular season. She coached eight All-MWC honorees over the last three seasons (no awards in 2020), including four total selections and two first-team honorees in 2023. Under Wood's leadership, Illinois College had the 2023 MWC Newcomer of the Year and its second-ever American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Region selection in 2023. In April 2023, Wood was one of 30 volleyball coaches from across the country at all levels to be named to the AVCA Thirty Under 30 list.
Prior to her time at Illinois College, Wood was an assistant women's volleyball coach at DePauw University during the 2018 and 2019 seasons. The Tigers made NCAA Tournament appearances in both seasons, including advancing to the second round in 2018, and won their first North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Tournament title in 2019. Wood was part of a coaching staff that produced the NCAC Player of the Year in both seasons and had a pair of AVCA All-Americans. Across her time at Illinois College and DePauw, Wood has led or been on the coaching staff of teams that have earned the AVCA Team Academic Award in five of the last six seasons.
After transferring from NCAA Division III Bluffton University, Wood graduated from NCAA Division II Ursuline College in 2015 as a double major in sports management and business administration with a minor in coaching. She started her coaching career at the high school and club levels in Ohio and Indiana before serving as an assistant coach at Cuyahoga Community College in Highland, Ohio for three seasons prior to coaching at DePauw.
St. Olaf will open its 2024 season on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 30-31 at the University of Chicago's Rosalie Resch Invitational.
