Decorated former player with decades of coaching experience to lean on winning ways as the franchise prepares for its inaugural season
All United Sports and Entertainment has announced the appointment of Deitre Collins-Parker as head coach of the Major League Volleyball franchise set to take the court in Washington, D.C. for the 2027 season. With more than 330 career wins and multiple conference championships spanning a 25-year stretch as a collegiate head coach, Collins-Parker leads the competitive build of the first professional women’s volleyball team to compete in and for the Sports Capital.
Collins-Parker stands out as one of the most decorated figures in the history of American volleyball. As a player, she earned All-America honors three times at the University of Hawaii, was twice named the Honda Broderick Cup winner as the nation's top collegiate volleyball player and became the first volleyball player to win the prestigious Honda Cup as the nation’s top female collegiate athlete. She was a member of the USA National Team for seven years, serving as a starting middle blocker in the1988 Olympics, and later played professionally in Italy and France.
Following her playing career, Collins-Parker transitioned to coaching roles within USA Volleyball before spending 25 years leading Division I programs. Her deep experience includes head coaching positions at UNLV, Cornell – winning multiple Ivy League Championships, and San Diego State – earning the program’s first Mountain West Championship. She then transitioned to the professional game where she served as an assistant coach with the San Diego Mojo and helped lead the team to the semifinals of the first Pro Volleyball Federation Championship weekend in 2024.
“I am honored to serve as the first head coach of the new Major League Volleyball franchise in Washington, D.C. Already home to over a million youth volleyball players and a hotbed for some of the nation’s most talented athletes, the region is ready to become a major force in professional volleyball,” said Collins-Parker. “We are going to give this city a team it is proud to call its own, building a winning program from the ground up and establishing an identity to reflect the diversity, passion, and energy of this community.”
As the team prepares for its 2027 debut in Major League Volleyball, Collins-Parker will apply her depth of experience to establish best-in-class volleyball operations, build a robust coaching and training staff, recruit a roster of talented and dynamic players, and inspire the next generation of youth volleyball players through community activations.
"A head coach of elite caliber, Deitre represents the level of excellence indicative of our new franchise and befitting a sports marketplace as robust as the District of Champions," said Kate Greenberg, Team President of Major League Volleyball DC. "Deitre has spent her career at the highest levels of volleyball as a standout player, notable Olympian, and winning coach. Her historic appointment as the first head coach of a D.C.-based professional women’s volleyball team is a signal to all sports fans in the region that the major leagues are not to be missed."
Additional announcements regarding the team’s name, visual identity, home playing venue, playing roster and volleyball operations will follow in the coming months.
About All United Sports and Entertainment
All United Sports and Entertainment (AUSE) is a Washington, D.C.-based sports and entertainment platform. AUSE is an investor in D.C. United (MLS), D.C. Power FC (USL Super League), Loudoun United (USL) and MLV DC, the region’s new Major League Volleyball franchise launching in 2027.