CARBONDALE, Ill. — Donna Day, a 14-year coaching veteran, which includes 12 seasons as a head coach, has been named an assistant coach for the Saluki volleyball program, head coach Ed Allen announced Friday.
Day joins the Salukis after having most recently spent the last four seasons as the head coach at NCAA Division I Niagara University. The Purple Eagles advanced to the MAAC Tournament in each of her four seasons and compiled a 36-27 record in MAAC play.
“We are excited to add Donna to the Saluki family,” Allen said. “She brings a wealth of coaching experience at a variety of levels both as an assistant and a head coach. We are very fortunate to add someone with such maturity and experience to help guide our student-athletes.”
Day spent a total of six seasons at Niagara, which included two as an assistant coach from 2016-18. During her four seasons as a head coach, the Purple Eagles were known for their defensive prowess. Niagara finished in the top-five nationally in digs per set in two of her four seasons and Amanda Darling earned back-to-back MAAC Libero of the Year honors under Day’s tutelage.
Prior to her stint at Niagara, Day spent eight years as the head volleyball coach at NCAA DII Ursuline College in Pepper Pike, Ohio. During her eight seasons leading the program, 25 student-athletes earned all-conference accolades while the team ranked nationally in digs and aces. In the classroom, 22 student-athletes received scholar-athlete recognition and the team earning American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Academic Team Honors in each of her eight seasons. In addition to being the head volleyball coach, Day also served at various times as the head tennis coach, the Arrows’ sports information director and worked as an adjunct professor.
Day held a supervisory role as a local tournament director, juniors’ club director and juniors’ coach in the Ohio Valley Region of USA Volleyball. She also worked as a coach and director of the Pinnacle Volleyball Club in Broadview Heights, Ohio. Day began her volleyball coaching career in 2004 as the High Performance Department intern for USA Volleyball in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Day graduated from Cleveland State University with a bachelor of science in Middle Childhood Education in 2002 and earned her master of education, Cum Laude, from Cleveland State in Education (Sport Management and Sport Psychology) in 2004.
