Abilene Christian University Women's Volleyball

Ijeoma Moronu Alstrup was named Abilene Christian University’s head volleyball coach on July 5, 2023 after a four-year stint as a head coach for professional volleyball in Denmark. She returned to ACU after serving as an assistant coach from 2012-15 following a four-year playing career with the Wildcats from 2007-10. The Wildcats picked up 10 wins in 2024, good for their most victories in a two-year period since the 2017 and 2018 campaigns totaled 26 wins. ACU swept the Wildcat Classic versus Alabama A&M and Oral Roberts and returned to the Western Athletic Conference Tournament for the second year in a row. The Wildcats shined on defense, ranking in the WAC's top three in kills, assists and digs allowed. Senior outside hitter and right side Bryley Steinhilber was named to the All-WAC Second Team after ranking eighth in the conference with 3.01 kills per set and 3.45 points per set. Middle blocker Avery Thaler received a spot on the All-Freshman Team in her first season on campus. In her first season as ACU's head coach, Moronu Alstrup led the Wildcats to 11 wins, including a 3-1 victory over Texas Tech for the program's first win over a power conference opponent since 2013. She guided the team to a three-match sweep of the ACU Tournament and six WAC wins to qualify for the WAC Tournament for the first time in two years. The Wildcats logged 1,400 kills and 12.39 kills per set, the team's second-most as a Division I program. ACU's 4,059 attack attempts and .179 attack percentage were good for fourth-most in the DI era, while its 1,287 assists and 11.39 assists per set were good for third-most. The Wildcats tallied 1,695 digs, the program's third-most since 2013. Steinhilber and junior setter Madeline Guffy received votes to the All-WAC Team as ACU led the conference in total service aces (109) and total digs (968). The Wildcats logged a 3.7 grade point average and six players averaged a 4.0 to finish the fall semester as eight players landed on the Academic All-WAC Team. ACU has shined in serving under Moronu Alstrup's leadership, recording its most service aces in a two-year stretch versus DI competition. The Wildcats' 190 service aces and 1.68 aces per set in 2023 are their most as a DI program, with their 140 in 2024 good for second. ACU recorded 53 solo blocks in 2023, the second-most by a Wildcat Division I program, with 1,751.5 points and 15.50 points per set, its third-most in a season. Before beginning her tenure at the helm of ACU, Moronu Alstrup began her head coaching career in 2019 at Farum Holte Volley in Copenhagen, where she served as the head coach for the First Division women’s team. In 2022, she became the co-head volleyball coach at Gentofte Volley. Moronu Alstrup's head coaching accolades while abroad include two bronze medal league finishes and a Danish U21 Championship in 2022.  Prior to Moronu Alstrup’s time as a head coach, she earned professional experience both on and off the court. She served as an assistant coach at ACU from 2012 to 2015 after playing professionally abroad in Europe from 2011-12 and from 2015-19. Moronu Alstrup competed for the likes of Olympia Neopolis Cyprus, VC Tirol Austria, KA Iceland, Lindesberg Sweden and Lyngby Volley Denmark. Before hitting the professional ranks, the Fort Worth, Texas native played setter for ACU from 2007 to 2010, building a 97-25 record and a 42-10 mark in Lone Star Conference play with the Wildcats. She earned All-LSC honors each season, including Second Team recognition in her first two years before receiving First Team accolades as a junior and senior. Moronu Alstrup was named the LSC Setter of the Year to wrap up her career in 2010 after leading ACU to its second consecutive runner-up finish in the conference's regular season. She earned a spot on the LSC All-Tournament Team in her final three seasons, with the Wildcats reaching the championship in 2008 and 2009. Moronu Alstrup was named to he LSC Commissioner's Honor Roll in 2008 and 2009 before landing on the LSC All-Academic Team in 2010.  Moronu Alstrup finished her undergraduate career at Abilene Christian in December 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science and kinesiology and a minor in business administration. She went on to earn a master’s degree in organizational development from ACU in December 2016. The former Ijeoma Moronu and her husband, Christopher, have two children, Charlie and Jude. Christopher is an assistant volleyball coach for the Wildcats.

Alec Straw joined the Abilene Christian volleyball staff ahead of the 2025 campaign as the program's graduate assistant. A native of Rock Island, Ill., Straw is responsible for technical training of the team's pin hitters and managing in-match defensive blocking schematics and strategy. In addition, he controls scouting of opponents' offensive systems to identify patterns for technical advantages. Straw joined the Wildcats from UC Santa Barbara in Santa Barbara, Calif., where he served as a volunteer assistant coach during the 2024 season. As the Gauchos' offensive coordinator, he devised and implemented offensive strategies while developing technical skills for athletes at all positions, particularly setters. Straw aided in team recruiting efforts through phone calls, visits and evaluations and directed summer camps for upwards of 280 athletes. He also structured logistics of team travel and managed the ordering and distribution of team equipment and apparel. UCSB went 10-8 in the Big West Conference in 2024, ranking third in the 11-team league in points per set (16.38) and kills per set (12.95) and second in assists per set (12.18). The Gauchos ranked fifth in hitting percentage (.220) and blocks per set (2.08). Straw mentored outside hitter Eva Travis, who was named the Big West Freshman of the Year and earned First Team All-Big West and All-Freshman Team honors. Her 378 kills were good for seventh in the conference. Prior to his work at UCSB, Straw took on a number of coaching roles with Iowa Select Volleyball Club from 2020-24. He managed teams participating in the 16 Open, 17 Club, 15U and 14 Patriot divisions and helped organize player development camps and clinics. Additionally, Straw directed club tournaments and oversaw staff, finances and match organization. In 2023, he coached at Iowa High Performance, administering drills and evaluating athlete performance. Straw coached at the high school level from 2022-23 as head coach at Durant High School and as an assistant coach at Moline High School. He was responsible for managing 80 athletes and four coaches through implementation of film analysis, stat keeping and interpretation and lifting programs. Straw graduated from Augustana College in May 2024 with a Bachelor's degree in business management with a focus on finance. He played Division III men's volleyball for three seasons as a pin hitter and defensive specialist.

Chris Alstrup enters his third season as an Abilene Christian volleyball assistant coach in 2025. Before his time as an assistant coach with the Wildcats, he both coached and played professionally internationally in Denmark and Sweden. The Wildcats picked up 10 wins in 2024, good for their most victories in a two-year period since the 2017 and 2018 campaigns totaled 26 wins. ACU swept the Wildcat Classic versus Alabama A&M and Oral Roberts and returned to the Western Athletic Conference Tournament for the second year in a row. The Wildcats shined on defense, ranking in the WAC's top three in kills, assists and digs allowed. Senior outside hitter and right side Bryley Steinhilber was named to the All-WAC Second Team after ranking eighth in the conference with 3.01 kills per set and 3.45 points per set. Middle blocker Avery Thaler received a spot on the All-Freshman Team in her first season on campus. In his first season as an assistant coach, Alstrup guided the Wildcats to 11 wins, including a 3-1 victory over Texas Tech for the program's first win over a power conference opponent since 2013. He steered the team to a three-match sweep of the ACU Tournament and six WAC wins to qualify for the WAC Tournament for the first time in two years. The Wildcats logged 1,400 kills and 12.39 kills per set, the team's second-most as a Division I program. ACU's 4,059 attack attempts and .179 attack percentage were good for fourth-most in the DI era, while its 1,287 assists and 11.39 assists per set were good for third-most. The Wildcats tallied 1,695 digs, the program's third-most since 2013. Steinhilber and junior setter Madeline Guffy received votes to the All-WAC Team as ACU led the conference in total service aces (109) and total digs (968). The Wildcats logged a 3.7 grade point average and six players averaged a 4.0 to finish the fall semester as eight players landed on the Academic All-WAC Team. ACU has shined in serving under Moronu Alstrup's leadership, recording its most service aces in a two-year stretch versus DI competition. The Wildcats' 190 service aces and 1.68 aces per set in 2023 are their most as a DI program, with their 140 in 2024 good for second. ACU recorded 53 solo blocks in 2023, the second-most by a Wildcat Division I program, with 1,751.5 points and 15.50 points per set, its third-most in a season. From 2022-23, Alstrup served as an assistant coach for Gentofte Volley, located in Denmark. During his time on staff, the team earned a bronze medal in the Danish Volleyball League. Alstrup was the head coach for Amager’s First Division team from 2021-22, as well as a player for the Amager Volley Organization from 2019-22. While at Amager, he helped the organization earn a Danish U21 Championship title. In 2018-19, Alstrup played professionally for Gentofte Volley and served as the head coach for the organization’s U16 team. He served as an assistant coach in three different professional organizations before his time at Gentofte and Amager Volley from 2013-18. He was an assistant at Lyngby Volley in Denmark from 2013-15. During his time at Lyngby, the organization earned a silver medal in the Danish league in 2015.  Alstrup went to Sweden for two years, first as an assistant coach at Lund Volley from 2016-17, then as a professional player from 2017-18. He also earned five championships as a youth player. Alstrup was a 2023 AP graduate in service, hospitality and tourism management from CPH Business Academy in Copenhagen. He was a HF graduate in 2017 from HF-Centret Efterslægten, also in Copenhagen. Alstrup is married to head coach Ijeoma Moronu Alstrup, who played professionally in Denmark. The pair has two kids, Charlie and Jude.

Janice Pressley joined the Abilene Christian volleyball staff in March 2025 as an assistant coach. A native of Jacksonville, Fla. and a former Division I volleyball student-athlete, Pressley carries over 20 years of experience in coaching and leading volleyball organizations at the collegiate and club levels. Pressley joined the ACU volleyball program after serving as executive director and owner of Divine Sports, a youth volleyball organization founded in 2020 and based in Cypress, Texas, outside of Houston. There, she oversaw all business and organizational aspects, including budgeting, scheduling and staffing. Pressley recruited, trained and managed a team of coaches while designing and implementing strategic plans to grow club memberships and boost participation. She coordinated tournaments, camps and clinics for over 150 participants and was also responsible for the organization’s marketing and social media strategy. From 2020-22, Pressley was associate director of Texas Tornados Volleyball Club, one of the state’s premiere youth volleyball organizations. She created, registered and coordinated competitive play schedules for each of the club’s 19 teams, communicating them to over 30 coaches and 300 families. Pressley designed the organization’s College Coaches Program to assist student-athletes in their recruitment to play volleyball at the collegiate level. She supported a number of players that signed with Division I, II and III programs. Pressley served as the assistant club director at Willowbrook Volleyball from 2012-20, where she developed practice schedules for all ages and competition levels. She developed the curriculum for the program’s summer camps and clinics for seven years while crafting a coaching curriculum to best support student-athletes. Pressley got her start in managing club volleyball in 2005 as assistant club director and regional teams director at Jacksonville Juniors Volleyball Association, where she worked until 2012. She guided coaches on how to lead their teams and planned practices for a range of ages and competition levels. Pressley’s responsibilities also included developing and operating curriculum for the organization’s summer camps and clinics while hiring and coordinating camp staff. Pressley’s collegiate coaching career began in 2007 as an assistant coach at the University of North Florida. She was on the Ospreys’ staff for two years, training and recruiting the team’s middle blockers and outside hitters while coordinating team travel logistics and itineraries and equipment management. From 2009-11, Pressley was an assistant coach at Florida State College at Jacksonville, working alongside the Manta Rays’ middle blockers and outside hitters. She assisted in leading the team to a division championship and an NJCAA Tournament berth while training multiple student-athletes to All-American and All-Conference nominations. Pressley was a two-year letterwinner at Georgia Southern University from 2003-04, where she earned a Bachelor of General Studies degree. Her niece, Yossiana (Pressley) Coughlin, played volleyball at Baylor University from 2017-21, where she was a five-time unanimous All-Big 12 First Team selection and the 2019 AVCA National Player of the Year.