IRVINE, Calif. – A new era begins this week as Eryn Leja-Martin joins the Concordia University Irvine family as the next head coach of the women's volleyball team.

A graduate of Concordia's well-regarded MCAA program (Master's of Coaching & Athletic Administration), Leja-Martin brings extensive head coaching and recruiting experience from her time spent in Southern California.

A former Academic All-American as a player at Chapman University, Leja-Martin enjoyed successful stints as the head coach of the women's volleyball programs at Vanguard and the University of Saint Katherine.

"I would like to thank Crystal Rosenthal for her vision for the future of CUI women's volleyball and her trust in me to be the next leader of the program," said Leja-Martin.  "I am ready to embrace the challenge of continuing and building upon a winning culture and adding more championships and banners on the wall in the CU Arena.  I am focused and ready to create a fantastic experience for our student-athletes, fans and alumni." 

"It is an exciting day for the future of Concordia women's volleyball as we welcome Eryn into our Golden Eagle family," said CUI Vice President of Athletics Crystal Rosenthal.  "With so many quality candidates, Eryn stood out as the very best, and her proven record of success speaks volumes of her ability to lead our program."
 
Leja-Martin recently earned career win No. 200 as a collegiate head coach, and is 212-116 overall across ten seasons split between USK and Vanguard. Her teams have averaged 24 wins over the past three campaigns.
 
Just one year ago, Leja-Martin led Saint Katherine to 30 wins and a top seed in their conference tournament. That remarkable season included a 25-game winning streak and a 17-5 home record.  In addition to her coaching duties, she served as Assistant Athletic Director for Internal Operations, juggling multiple roles as a leader at USK.

Prior to that success, Leja-Martin led Vanguard to its first ever GSAC title in 2015 and to the NAIA National Tournament five times in six years. She also was one of the youngest head coaches in the nation when she earned a promotion after just one year as a Vanguard assistant. She amassed an impressive 126-78 record during her time with the Lions.

"I think having success at other private institutions in this region will definitely play as an advantage coming here to CUI," said Leja-Martin.  "SoCal is my 'home soil' and I feel very comfortable and confident stepping into this role.  Having recruited many athletes to (and from) this region, both locally and nationally, while also winning collegiate matches here, gets me very excited for the Golden Eagle volleyball future.  It's an amazing place to recruit to, and I am thrilled to be able to continue to do so."

"Of the many qualities that Eryn possesses, her ability to holistically develop young people makes her a perfect fit to lead our student-athletes," added Rosenthal.  "But her ability to compete at the top level and her drive to succeed is what really stood out to me throughout this process.  I am looking forward to Eryn leading this program to success both at the conference and national level, and I am excited to watch her go to work."
 
In between her stops at those two NAIA programs, she also served three seasons as a top assistant at NCAA Division I Houston Baptist University.  She became associate head coach after helping the Huskies make their conference tournament three years in a row and lining up multiple seasons with double-digit wins.

Leja-Martin replaces Olympian Paula Weishoff, who retired in June after leading Concordia to over 280 wins in her two stints as head coach in Irvine.
 
"Concordia has always been a place that I've had a ton of respect for," said Leja-Martin.  "It began with Paula. She was an amazing mentor to me through my own recruiting process back when I was an athlete. Even though I did not play at CUI, Paula left a lasting impact on me with the way she treated me. Further down the road, I was lucky enough to complete my MCAA at CUI."

"I hope to continue the standard of excellence that CUI women's volleyball has always carried," she added.  "That is something I take pride in within my own programs, and I feel like that will only continue to trend upward as myself and our staff commit fully to the success and well-being of everyone associated with our team.  I am excited to develop and build relationships with the current team members, while also adding some fantastic new talent in the years to come.  My passion lies deeply within the relationships I've built with my athletes that last years beyond graduation, and I am extremely excited to continue that here at Concordia."

Her stellar playing career included stops at the College of the Desert and UC Riverside before she graduated from Chapman. She grew up in Thermal, California and starred at La Quinta High School. 

"I am itching to get connected with the athletes on this team and am ready to do everything I can to make this transition as smooth and easy as possible," said Leja-Martin.  "I immediately felt a connection with the athletics community over the last few weeks, and I am confident that building more connections across campus will come just as easily."

Leja-Martin and the Golden Eagles begin a new era of women's volleyball the first week of September. The home opener for CUI is Thursday, Sept. 5 at 7 p.m. against Colorado Christian and will be part of a three-day tournament called the Golden Eagle Classic that features a number of NCAA DII programs from the west coast and the middle of the country.

CLICK HERE for the new 2024 CUI women's volleyball schedule