YEAR: First in 2025-26
PREVIOUS COLLEGE: Ursuline

The Ashland University volleyball program has a new leader.
 
As announced by Eagle Director of Athletics Al King on Thursday (March 12) afternoon, Alicia Wood, most recently the head coach at St. Olaf College in Minnesota, is AU's new head coach.
 
Wood is the 10^th head volleyball coach in Eagle history.
 
"I am honored to have been chosen to lead the Ashland University volleyball program," Wood said. "I am so excited to join a community with such a rich history of competitive excellence and strong academics. I am greatly looking forward to working with our amazing student-athletes and staff."
 
Said King, "We're excited to have Alicia join the Athletic Department and direct our volleyball program. Like many of our coaches she has a passion for her sport and guiding young people. She believes in having a well-rounded program where success in academics is stressed along with being a good teammate and working to be a championship-caliber team.
 
"She's a young coach and what's she's done over the last five years demonstrates that she's driven to succeed. We loved her vision and we believe she can bring a new perspective to Ashland University volleyball. We talk a lot about fit in Ashland University Athletics. I think Alicia is an excellent fit and will make our department better."
 
Wood is coming home, having graduated from Ursuline and being a native of Cleveland Heights, Ohio.
 
"I feel tremendously blessed to have a homecoming back to Northeastern Ohio, and want to thank Al King and the search committee for entrusting me to lead the next chapter of our Eagle volleyball legacy."
 
In two seasons guiding St. Olaf, Wood's teams sported overall records of 19-10 and 27-9, and both squads made the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference playoffs. In 2025, Wood led the program to the second round of the NCAA III postseason.
 
Wood's time in Minnesota also marked being named the MIAC Coach of the Year in 2025 by her peers. She also coached three American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Americans or honorable mention All-Americans, four AVCA all-region selections, a two-time MIAC Defensive Player of the Year, six All-MIAC honorees, eight College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District selections, and 28 Academic All-MIAC honorees.
 
Her first collegiate head coaching stint came at Illinois College from 2020-23, where she was 42-46. She was named the Midwest Conference's Coach of the Year in 2023, and was an AVCA "Thirty Under 30" Award recipient the same season.
 
DePauw University was Wood's second collegiate coaching stint, as she was an assistant coach from 2018-20. She was an assistant at Cuyahoga Community College from 2015-18.
 
Wood has a tie to campus, as well - her sister is an Ashland University graduate.