Bates College Women's Volleyball

Emily Hayes, head coach at Lewis & Clark College from 2018 to 2021 and a former assistant at St. Lawrence University and Hope College, was appointed head coach of womens volleyball at Bates College in July 2021, announced by Director of Athletics Jason Fein. To be at Bates and in the NESCAC is just beyond exciting for me. This was an opportunity that I couldn't pass up, said Hayes. To work at an institution with so much history and culture, and with a volleyball program with both a history of great success and then in recent years, the improvement that the program has seen -- its just thrilling to be able to build on and continue in that direction. Hayes is the 13th head coach in the history of varsity women's volleyball at Bates, a proud program that began in 1967 and once enjoyed a 36-0 campaign in 1989.  We're elated to welcome Emily Hayes as our new head volleyball coach," said Fein. "Her work ethic, attention to detail, and history of creating a winning culture in a highly competitive atmosphere make her the perfect choice for our program, and to lead our student-athletes. Her playing and coaching experiences will serve her well. In 2018, Hayes was promoted from assistant coach to head coach after a year at Lewis & Clark, and she quickly won the colleges Coach of the Year award for 2018-19 after turning the Pioneers record around from 2-21 in 2017 to 13-10 in 2018. She developed three all-conference players in two seasons while establishing a culture of pride, trust and commitment within the program.  Hayes coaching style, she says, is one that is obviously going to be playing high level volleyball and developing a championship program, but I take the responsibility really seriously to be a role model and inspire young women in more areas than the volleyball court. So developing women leaders and immersing ourselves in the community and excelling academically while also holding ourselves to incredibly high standards in terms of volleyball. Originally hailing from Austin, Texas, Hayes attended Hope College in Michigan, where she earned a bachelors degree in classical studies in 2014. She played setter for a year at Hope before becoming a student assistant coach for the next three seasons, in the meantime helping the Flying Dutch advance to the NCAA tournament in 2011, 2012, and 2013, including the Elite Eight in 2013.  After graduation, she assistant-coached mens and womens volleyball for a year at Lourdes University, then joined the staff at St. Lawrence University as a graduate assistant coach in 2015. While at St. Lawrence, Hayes had six student-athletes earn All-Liberty League recognition and nine chosen for conference all-academic honors. She also established core and weightlifting programs for the team while earning a masters degree in educational leadership. She became assistant coach at Lewis & Clark in 2017, and head coach in 2018. Throughout her six years as a collegiate coach, Hayes was part of coaching staffs that mentored eight All-Americans.

Bates College is proud to announce the appointment of Carissa Bradford as the new head coach of its women's volleyball program, effective June 2, 2025. A dynamic leader with extensive collegiate coaching and playing experience, Bradford steps into the role after a successful tenure as the full-time assistant coach at Regis College (Mass.). At Regis, Bradford played a key role in historic achievements for both the men's and women's volleyball teams, helping lead each to record-setting win totals and their first appearance in a conference championship. She spearheaded efforts in practice planning, film analysis, recruitment, and operations, contributing to the growth of both programs regionally and nationally. Bradford also serves as Youth Volleyball and Contract Director at Boston United Volleyball Club (UVC), where she has expanded programming and significantly increased participation in youth and beach volleyball clinics. Her background includes extensive coaching across club programs in California and Alabama, as well as a standout Division I playing career at the University of the Pacific, the University of Tennessee, and the University of South Alabama. Bradford earned her bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of South Alabama and is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Strategic Communication at Regis College.

Sachio Kekati joined the Bates College women's volleyball coaching staff in August 2025. Kekati comes to Bates after a standout career at Nichols College, where he helped build the men's volleyball program into a competitive force. A magna cum laude graduate in sport management, he completed his MBA at Nichols in May 2025. A three-time New England Volleyball Conference (NEVC) champion, Kekati competed in two NCAA Division III Tournaments and helped his team reach the NCAA Elite Eight in 2025. He also served as a volleyball manager and intern at Nichols, assisting with practice operations, running drills, tracking statistics, and leading warm-ups. Internationally, he gained additional coaching and event management experience with the Abu Dhabi Cycling Club. "I'm thrilled to join Bates College and contribute to the women's volleyball program," Kekati said. "Having grown up overseas in Abu Dhabi and competed at the collegiate level, I bring a global perspective and a competitive edge that I'm eager to share with our student athletes. I'm beyond grateful to be given this opportunity and I can't wait to help this team reach their goals, Go Bobcats!" First-year head coach Carissa Bradford added: " "We're really excited to have Coach Kekati join the Bates volleyball program. He brings great experience from the men's game and played a big role in building a successful, competitive program at Nichols. His passion, knowledge, and energy are going to make an immediate impact on our team."