Article by Dan Tortora
LeMoyne College has found the right fit to lead their women's volleyball team into the Northeast Conference (NEC) and NCAA Division I overall in Susan Kim.
The new head coach of the Dolphins finds her way "On the Heights" following her time at Rider University where she served as an assistant coach on the women's volleyball staff beginning in the summer of 2019 and most recently being elevated to associate head coach in the winter of 2021. She left Rider to become the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator of Georgetown University's women's volleyball team before returning to Rider in June of 2022.
Under the tutelage of Kim at Rider, student-athletes achieved four All-MAAC selections, three MAAC All-Rookie team selections, one AVCA All-American, one AVCA All-Northeast Region, one All-ECAC team, one ECAC Rookie of the Year, one MAAC Player of the Year, one MAAC Setter of the Year, and one MAAC Rookie of the Year.
"We are very excited to name Susan Kim as our women’s volleyball head coach,” said Bob Beretta, LeMoyne College Director of Athletics and Recreation. “Susan is highly regarded within the volleyball industry for her values-based leadership style."
Kim has coached at the collegiate level for 11 years, and has 18 years overall experience in the volleyball circuit.
"Susan has posted an impressive record of success at all levels throughout her coaching journey," Beretta added. "I’m confident our student-athletes will develop to their fullest potential under Susan’s guidance athletically, academically, and socially."
Before coming to Rider, Kim spent six seasons at Holy Family University as an assistant coach, with her final season at the helm at Holy Family, 2018, being the most successful in the history of their women's volleyball program as a result of the team winning the Central Athletic Collegiate Conference (CACC) championship, moving onto the NCAA Division II tournament where they would punch their ticket to the Sweet Sixteen.
Within this 2018 season, she coached and trained an American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-American, AVCA East Region Player of the Year, CACC East Region Player of the Year, and Conference Player of the Year, along with mentoring the 2018 CACC Rookie of the Year and the 2018 CACC Setter of the Year.
While at Holy Family, she also had four All-Conference players, three Conference All-Tournament Team players, and three All-Region Tournament team players on the court, while in the classroom, the school was a Top-25 program in grade point average by AVCA, with a 3.66 team grade point average in 2016-17 and 3.69 in 2017-18.
In 2013, Kim was on the La Salle University women's volleyball staff as an assistant and eventually the interim head coach later on that season. There, she planned and led technical training sessions as well as assisted with the planning and running of team practices, while introducing and implementing statistical analyses of team practices and matches along with tracking statistical data in all aspects of the game.
She founded Infinity Volleyball Academy in 2008, and recently became its Co-Director, managing daily operations and the growth of the youth-oriented volleyball program.
In 2011-12, Kim was the head coach of the boy's volleyball team at Council Rock North High School, guiding the squad to the Suburban One League (SOL) National Conference Championship and District 1 AAA Championship, rising to the Top-10 of the Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association (PVCA) state poll. Council Rock also advanced to the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) State Championships in 2011 with an undefeated 12-0 conference record and 16-1 overall record under Kim's leadership.
From 2006-11, she was the head coach of the girl's volleyball team at Archbishop Wood High School, ending with a record of 79-23 (.775), which included winning the Philadelphia Catholic League (PCL) Division Championships ( 2006, 2007, and 2008 ), two PCL Championships (2008, 2010), and two District 12 Championships (2008, 2010). Her team would make it all the way to the PIAA State Championship playoffs in both 2008 and 2010. Kim was recognized as the Bucks County Courier Times Coach of the Year in 2007 and 2008.
"Susan owns deep recruiting ties nationally and boasts a strong passion for developing student-athletes as leaders on and off the court," Beretta expressed. "We are confident she is the perfect choice to lead our program during the transition to Division I as a member of the Northeast Conference. Her commitment to building a championship program the right way was evident during the interview process."
"I am honored to be named the new Head Coach at Le Moyne College," said Kim. "It’s an exciting time at Le Moyne with the transition to Division I and I am grateful to Bob Beretta, Liza Hillegas and the entire search committee for having the faith in me to lead the program. From the initial call to the in-person visit, I knew this was a place I could call home."
“I look forward to being a part of this new journey as we join the Northeast Conference," Kim added. "Most importantly, I am eager to connect with the student-athletes and the Le Moyne community.”
Kim has already made history "On the Heights", becoming the first person of Asian descent to lead an intercollegiate athletics program at Le Moyne, as she takes the reigns of the women's volleyball team, serving as the eighth head coach in the tenure of the program.
She can relate to the student-athletes at LeMoyne as she, too, was a student-athlete, spenting four seasons on the Bloomsburg University women’s volleyball club, where she would rise to co-captain and attain All-Tournament team honors in the Northeast Women’s Volleyball Club League Championship. Paralleling her achievements on the court, Kim also advanced in the classroom, earning her Bachelor's Degree from Bloomsburg in Computer and Information Systems, along with a minor in Economics.
Kim already has ties to New York thanks to her work with the Garden Empire Volleyball Association (GEVA) Regional Team Development Program out of Massapequa Park, where she serves as head coach, lead positional tryout evaluator, and court coach.
Please join LeMoyne College in sending Susan Kim a celebratory "'Phins Up" as a warm welcome to our Dolphin community and our greater 'Phin 'Phamily!
Thanks to LeMoyne College in their assistance with this article