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Hawai'i Hilo Vulcans Athletics

HAWAI'I HILO VULCANS ATHLETICS
Coach Chris Leonard

Chris Leonard

  • Title
    Former Women's Volleyball Head Coach
  • Years
    2019-2025

After years as an assistant, Chris Leonard was named Vulcans interim head coach in 2019 before earning the pernament role heading into the 2020 season to become the program's seventh head coach.

The Hawai‘i-native moved to the Big Island in 1992 and previously coached at Waiakea High School and Kamehameha Schools Hawai‘i in addition to the Pilipa‘a Volleyball Club.

In 2015, Leonard was inducted into the Big Island Sports Hall of Fame.


HAWAI‘I HILO WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL RECORD

SEASON TEAM RECORD NOTES
2019 23-8 Overall
18-4 PacWest (No. 2)
NCAA West Regional First Round
(3) All-PacWest Team Selections
2020-21 14-2 Overall
13-1 PacWest (No. 1 Hawai‘i Pod)
Shortened COVID Spring Season
(3) All-PacWest Team Selections
2021 17-7 Overall
14-6 PacWest (No. 4)
Career Win No. 50 (Oct. 27 vs PLNU)
CoSIDA Academic All-American
PacWest WVB Scholar-Athlete of the Year

(1) All-PacWest Team Selections
2022 4-22 Overall
4-16 PacWest (No. 9)
2023 12-16 Overall
9-11 PacWest (No. T6)
(3) All-PacWest Team Selections
2024 16-14 Overall
11-9 PacWest (No. T4)
(3) All-PacWest Team Selections
6 Seasons 86-69 Overall
69-47 PacWest
0 Championships
2 Major Awards

2021: Leonard notched career win No. 50 on Oct. 27, 2021 against Point Loma Nazarene ... Vulcans finished fourth in the PacWest ... Bria Beale was chosen as Hawai‘i Hilo's NCAA Woman of the Year Nominee and finished in the top 10 for Division II ... Team received the UH Hilo Community Engagement Award with 231 hours of community service. Also helped Hawai‘i Hilo claim its first PacWest Hawai‘i Challenge title ... Beale named to All-PacWest First Team while also being selected to Division II Conference Commissioners Association All-West Region First Team in addition to CoSIDA Academic All-District 8 Team and CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team. She was also the 2021-22 PacWest Women's Volleyball Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

2020-21: Interim tag removed in March 2020 ... Vulcans finished atop the PacWest Hawai‘i Pod and cracked the AVCA Division II Coaches Poll Top 25 for the first time since 2010, coming in at the No. 25 spot ... Bria Beale, Ashton Jessee and Kendall Kott selected to the All-PacWest Hawai‘i Pod Team. Beale was also named to CoSIDA Academic All-District 8 Team.

2019: Leonard was announced as interim head coach in July ... Vulcans won 12 consecutive matches at one point and ultimately qualified for the NCAA postseason for the first time since 2011 after earning a No. 7 seed for the West Regional. Vulcans fell to fourth-ranked Western Washington in straight sets ... Bria Beale, Emily Wade and Kendall Kott earned All-PacWest Team selections while Beale was named to the Division II Conference Commissioners Association All-West Region First Team.


COACHING CAREER
» 13 All-PacWest Team Selections
» Hawai‘i Hilo Rank No. 2: 79+ Wins (Oct. 3, 2024 vs Menlo)
» Career Win No. 50 (Oct. 27, 2021 vs Point Loma)

PLAYERS' ACCOLADES
» 2021-22 PacWest Conference Volleyball Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Bria Beale
» 2020-21 Hawai‘i Hilo Female Athlete of the Year: Bria Beale
» 2021 CoSIDA All-America First Team: Bria Beale


ALMA MATER
» Punahou School (Hawai‘i)
» Kailua High School (Hawai‘i) 1987
» Arizona State University
» University of Hawai‘i at Manoa

PERSONAL
» Hometown: Kailua, Hawai‘i
» Has two daughters
» Youngest daughter Zoe is also on the Vulcans Women's Volleyball coaching staff (2021-2024)
» President and General Manager of New West Broadcasting Corp.


CAREER
2019-Present: University of Hawai‘i at Hilo
2014-2019: University of Hawai‘i at Hilo (Assistant)
2007-Present: Pilipa‘a Girls Volleyball Club
Previous: Moku O Keawe Region - USA Volleyball
Previous: Waiakea High School
Previous: Kamehameha Schools Hawai‘i

Chris Leonard

50th Win