ORLANDO, FL – Amy Pauly, one of the top up-and-coming coaches in the college volleyball ranks, has been named the first head coach of the Orlando Pro Volleyball Federation team, it was announced Monday. Pauly comes to Orlando from USC, where she was the associate head coach for the women’s volleyball program. Pauly will also serve as Orlando’s Vice President of Volleyball Operations.
“I am extremely grateful to be named the first head coach for the Orlando franchise of Pro Volleyball Federation,” Pauly said. “I would like to thank Jen Spicher and Dr. Cecile Reynaud for seeing my passion for the sport and trusting me to work tirelessly to help make this league successful. I would also like to thank David Forman for giving me the opportunity to represent REAL PRO VOLLEYBALL in Orlando. He has an incredible vision for what professional volleyball can be in Orlando and he wants to provide nothing but the best to the athletes.
“I have been going to Orlando for volleyball since a very young age, whether it was for my early playing days or in my coaching career for recruiting trips. The volleyball community there has always been a welcoming group and I know they will be huge supporters of our team. I look forward to building a competitive roster and creating a team that the city will be proud of!”
Pauly is recognized throughout college volleyball circles as a tremendous recruiter and talent identifier, and was integral in the Trojans’ recruitment of both high school student-athletes and collegiate transfers during her time there. Most recently Pauly helped attract the nation’s top-rated recruiting class to USC in 2022.
“We are very fortunate to have been able to bring Amy to Orlando as our new head coach,” said Orlando team owner David Forman. “Our goal was to attract the very best who would embrace the challenge of building an elite program, and in Amy we have achieved that goal. She has a clear vision and a singular focus, and that is to build a championship organization in Orlando.”
Pauly has attracted national acclaim in coaching circles. She was named to VolleyballMag.com’s 2020 Under 40 Coaching Hotshots list and also was recognized by her peers on the 2016 American Volleyball Coaches Association 30 Under 30 list.
“Working to build the USC program with Amy during the COVID era, arguably one of the most difficult times in history, has been a true honor,” said USC women’s volleyball head coach Brad Keller. “Watching Amy develop into one of the most electric and charismatic leaders during this journey has been nothing short of inspirational. She has been the very rock that this program, and I personally, have needed. Though Amy will be missed dearly, I am very excited for her next chapter. There is no one more deserving and I can’t wait to witness what she brings to Orlando and Pro Volleyball Federation. Congrats Amy and Fight On!”
Prior to her three-year stint with the Women of Troy, Pauly spent two seasons as head coach at the University of Alabama-Birmingham in 2018 and 2019 where she helped the program achieve its most single-season wins since 2013. Pauly also spent six seasons (2012-17) as the associate head coach at Villanova where she helped the Wildcats to 97 victories and an NCAA tournament appearance in 2015.
“Having Amy Pauly join us as the head coach in Orlando is amazing for our league,” said Pro Volleyball Federation CEO Jen Spicher. “Her enthusiasm for the game and her infectious personality will prove to be invaluable as she begins to build her team in Orlando. This is another outstanding hire and continues to demonstrate the great heights we are taking REAL PRO VOLLEYBALL.”
Pauly got her start in collegiate coaching in 2010 as a graduate assistant at South Carolina. She had a four-year playing career at Alabama (2005-08) as a libero and helped the Crimson Tide earn three consecutive NCAA tournament berths. She set Alabama career (1,724), season (616), and single-match (39) records for digs. Her single-season average of 5.31 digs per set in 2007 is the highest in program history and her career total was ranked fourth all-time in the SEC record books when she concluded her playing career. She was a six-time SEC Player of the Week selection and was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll three times.
“Orlando is going to love Amy, and I think she will do a tremendous job there,” said Dr. Cecile Reynaud, Pro Volleyball Federation’s Vice President of Volleyball Operations and the long-time Florida State University Hall of Fame coach. “Volleyball has always been very popular in Florida, and there are many highly successful college programs. The high schools compete at the highest level, as do hundreds of club teams of all ages which makes the Florida region one of the strongest in USA Volleyball and a recruiting hotbed for college coaches. I’m sure many of the state’s best will want to stay home and play professionally now that Pro Volleyball Federation is providing such great opportunities for these tremendous athletes.”
Pauly joins a group of distinguished head coaches set to compete in Pro Volleyball Federation’s inaugural season, including Grand Rapids head coach Cathy George (all-time wins leader in Michigan State history and the first female to lead a women’s volleyball team to the NCAA Final Four), Atlanta head coach Todd Dagenais (all-time wins leader in UCF history and winningest coach in American Athletic Conference history), San Diego head coach Tayyiba Haneef-Park (prominent Team USA coach and former Oregon assistant coach), Columbus head coach Angel Perez (back-to-back championship coach and back-to-back Coach of the Year in Puerto Rico’s professional league), and Omaha head coach Shelton Collier (40+ years of coaching experience at the national, international, and Olympic levels).
“I am honored to join a group of incredible head coaches who all want to continue growing the game here in the States,” Pauly continued. “The league is going to be a game changer for women’s volleyball everywhere. Our athletes will be able to finally stay home after their collegiate careers, while athletes abroad will have the chance to seize an opportunity to play in the U.S. and experience the incredible fan base that volleyball has.”
The Orlando team will immediately begin the process of building its inaugural season roster. The 2024 season begins in February. The team will also soon be announcing its team name and introducing its team logo, along with making announcements about its home venue and ticket sales. The team will play 24 matches during the regular season, followed by the league’s championship weekend which will be held in May.
For more information about the Orlando Pro Volleyball Federation team or to learn how you can become a player, a team partner, or a season ticket holder, visit www.orlandoprovb.com.
ABOUT PRO VOLLEYBALL FEDERATION
Pro Volleyball Federation is REAL pro volleyball and the premier women’s professional volleyball league in North America. Pro Volleyball Federation will begin play in February 2024 with world class players and coaches, including some of America’s greatest volleyball players and elite players from around the world. Our entire focus is on ensuring that our level and quality of play, our treatment of players, the quality of our event presentations, and our day-to-day fan experience is world class and the very best offered in North America. For more information, visit ProVolleyball.com.
For Media Inquiries or to arrange interviews, contact: Rob Carolla, (214-208-1876 / rob@provolleyball.com)