Stephanie is entering her first season as assistant coach for the Flyer volleyball team. She came to Dayton from High Point University, after serving in the same capacity for two seasons. There, Ross landed recruits that played for the USA Women’s Junior A2 National Team, as well as Prep Volleyball All-American and Senior Aces list honorees. Prior to her time at High Point, the University of Pittsburgh (’09) graduate had coaching experience at Xavier University in 2009 and 2010 as a graduate assistant. She also coached at the club level for Renaissance and Team Z.
In her playing days at Pittsburgh, Ross was a Big East All-Academic performer and a four-year starter for the Panthers. She helped her team in a variety of roles, most notably as an outside hitter. She graduated from Pitt in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology.
Ross is a Dayton, Ohio native and played for the Dayton Juniors club in high school.
“Dayton has been one of the premier teams in the country over the past seven years, and having the opportunity to continue the tradition in my hometown is a dream come true,” said Ross. “The support given to these student athletes is top notch; everything is in place for the team to be great and I am excited to do everything I can to make sure that happens. I have known Coach Affolder for the past couple of years and have no doubt that he is ready to take the program to new heights. My first college volleyball experience was watching the Flyers defeat Michigan State for their first ever NCAA tournament win, and I am looking forward to being on the sidelines helping these girls get better each day to bring about continued success.”
Affolder discussed what it means to add Ross to the Dayton program.
"There is no question Stephanie is one of the most talented young coaches in our sport,” said Affolder. “I was blown away during the hiring process by her competitiveness, maturity, professionalism, and desire to be a Dayton Flyer. I have talked with people who have known Stephanie all throughout her volleyball career as a player and coach, and every single person mentioned that she has a relentless work ethic and drive to be great in all facets of her life. Stephanie's ties to the Midwest and the Atlantic 10 Conference put her in a great position to impact our program from day one. I am ecstatic to bring Stephanie back home to Dayton where I know she will thrive as our programs Recruiting Coordinator."
