SUNY Stony Brook University Women's Volleyball

Kristin Belzung completed her eighth season as head coach of the Stony Brook volleyball program in 2024.    In eight years on Long Island, Belzung has transformed the Seawolves into a winning program, capturing back-to-back America East championships in 2017 and 2018.  This past season, Stony Brook volleyball went 16-13 overall and 9-9 in league action earning the No. 6 seed in the CAA Championship Tournament, ultimately falling in the First Round to third-seeded host, Towson. Under Belzung, four Seawolves were named All-CAA selections: Kali Moore (First Team), Leoni Kunz and Torri Henry (Second Team), and Quinn Anderson (All-Rookie Team). With standout performances on the court and in the classroom, Julia Patsos, Kunz, and Moore were selected to the 2024-25 College Sports Communicators’ Academic All-District Team. Aside from individual player accolades, Belzung earned her 100th career win in a five-set thriller over Colgate early in the season during non-conference play. In 2023, Belzung led the Seawolves in their second season in the CAA to a 17-14 (11-7 CAA) record, finishing with their most overall wins since 2018 when they finished with 21 and increase their CAA win total by six games. The Seawolves won their last six games in CAA play to clinch the No. 5 seed in the CAA Tournament where they won their first-ever CAA Tournament game over Charleston in the Quarterfinal Round before falling to No. 1 Towson in the Semifinal Round. Also, the Seawolves won their first game against Hofstra since 1999 and swept the Pride in the regular-season finale.  The Seawolves had numerous players be honored for their performances during the historic 2023 season. Senior Torri Henry was tabbed as the CAA Setter of the Year and captured First Team honors after leading the CAA in assists and assists per set, becoming the first student-athlete to earn the award. Fellow senior Leoni Kunz was recognized on the Second Team after finishing with a career-high in kills. Freshman Ava Jackson was named to the All-Rookie team after her standout freshman campaign.  Belzung guided the Seawolves in their first year in the CAA by leading the squad to a 10-16 (5-11 CAA) record that clinched the No. 8 seed in the CAA Tournament for Stony Brook. The Seawolves battled against No. 1 Towson in the opening round and took a set but ultimately fell, 3-1. Belzung helped Kali Moore become the first student-athlete in program history to claim a CAA major award as she was tabbed the league's Rookie of the Year and was selected to the All-CAA Second Team and CAA All-Rookie Team as a result of her standout play in her first season on Long Island. Also, Julia Kim, Julia Patsos, Torri Henry, and Leoni Kunz were recognized for their success in the classroom by being selected to the 2022-23 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team. In the final season for the Seawolves in the America East, Belzung pushed the team to a 13-14 (7-5 AE) record to secure No. 4 seed in the America East Tournament. The squad battled tough against UMBC but fell, 3-2, in the five-set classic. Sabrina Patriciello was named an America East Presidential Scholar-Athlete, while outside hitter Amiyah De'Long was tabbed to the All-Conference First Team and middle blocker Abby Campbell and middle blocker Enitan Omolewa both claimed Second Team honors. Stony Brook went 7-8 (7-5 AE) during the COVID-19 shortened season. Abby Campbell was named first-team All-America East and joined classmate Torri Henry on the league's All-Rookie Team. Kiani Kerstetter capped off her Seawolves career by earning second-team All-America East honors. In 2019, Stony Brook made its third-straight appearance in the America East tournament, led by two-time America East Setter of the Year LeAnne Sakowicz and Defensive Specialist of the Year Kiani Kerstetter. In her second season, Belzung led the 21-9 Seawolves to their second NCAA tournament appearance after capturing their second-straight America East Tournament Championship with a sweep against Hartford in the semifinal and a five-set win against Albany in the championship. Belzung and her assistant coaches were named the America East Staff of the Year, guiding the Seawolves to an undefeated conference mark (12-0) en route to their first America East regular season title since 2007. In her first season at the helm of the program, Belzung and Stony Brook defied the odds as the No. 4 seed in the America East Championship, securing its first conference title and NCAA tournament bid in program history following sweeps against the top two teams in the conference.  In the classroom, Belzung has guided the Seawolves to six consecutive USMC-AVCA Team Academic Awards. Before arriving at Stony Brook, Belzung spent four seasons with the Wyoming volleyball program, serving as the associate head coach in her final season. During her time with the Cowgirls, Belzung helped the squad average just over 21 wins per season under head coach Chad Callihan.   Prior to her time at Wyoming, Belzung spent three seasons at South Dakota State as an assistant coach. Prior to that, she spent two years at South Carolina, where she spent her first season as a graduate assistant and the second as the director of operations for the Gamecocks’ volleyball program.   Before starting her coaching career, Belzung was a four-year standout setter at Northern Iowa while playing for Bobbi Peterson. A two-time first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference selection, she ranks fourth in UNI history with 4,256 assists and with an 11.3 assists per game average. Belzung helped the team to consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances in 2006 and 2007 and earned the State Farm MVC Tournament MVP in her squad's first of two straight conference tourney crowns.   A native of Ankeny, Iowa, Belzung starred in the classroom as well, earning the State Farm MVC Good Neighbor Award, an honor that recognizes athletes for their excellence in academics, sportsmanship and community service. She also garnered Dean's List recognition in six of her nine semesters at UNI and twice earned a spot on the MVC Scholar-Athlete first team. Belzung served as a SAAC representative and participated in the NCAA National Leadership Conference.   Belzung, an inductee of the Iowa Girls’ High School Athletic Union Volleyball Hall of Fame, graduated with a bachelor's degree in health promotion/environmental health from Northern Iowa in 2008, and completed her master's degree in sport and entertainment management from South Carolina in the spring of 2010.  

Amie Held joined the Stony Brook volleyball staff as an assistant coach/recruiting coordinator in March 2023. Held came to Stony Brook after spending the four seasons as an assistant coach at Kennesaw State. In 2024, Held assisted the Seawolves to a 16-13 overall record and 9-9 finish in league action earning the No. 6 seed in the CAA Championship Tournament, ultimately falling in the First Round to third-seeded host, Towson. She coached four Seawolves that were named All-CAA selections in Kali Moore (First Team), Leoni Kunz and Torri Henry (Second Team), and Quinn Anderson (All-Rookie Team). With standout performances on the court and in the classroom, Julia Patsos, Kunz, and Moore were also selected to the 2024-25 College Sports Communicators’ Academic All-District Team.   In her first season with the Seawolves, Held helped the team to a 17-14 (11-7 CAA) record to secure the No. 5 seed in the CAA Tournament. Stony Brook earned their first-ever CAA Tournament victory after defeating No. 4 College of Charleston in the Quarterfinals, before ultimately falling to No. 1 Towson in the CAA Semifinal match. The squad also earned their first victory over Hofstra since 1999 and had their most overall wins since 2018. Held helped Torri Henry earn CAA Setter of the Year and First Team honors, as well as Leoni Kunz earning second Second Team honors and Ava Jackson taking home All-Rookie recognition after their performances in 2023.     While at Kennesaw State, she helped guide the Owls to a 2019 ASUN Tournament Championship and NCAA Tournament berth. Over her tenure, she coached the 2022 ASUN Freshman of the Year, 2019 ASUN Setter of the Year, two AVCA All-Region athletes in 2019, and multiple student-athletes who earned All-Conference First Team honors under her tutelage.   During her time at Kennesaw State, she assisted with recruiting high-ceiling prospective student-athletes and retaining student-athletes for the duration of their collegiate careers. Additionally, she was responsible for duties such as collaborating with fellow staff members to enhance student-athlete experience, on-court training, scouting opponents, oversight of the team budget, and coordination of team travel and events.   Throughout her entire volleyball career, Held has spent time working at clubs and camps in the Midwest and Southeast. She worked at Tsunami as the recruiting director, S3 Beach as a coach, Cobb Atlanta as the recruiting director and coach, and CIA as a coach. On the club level, she assisted players through their decision-making process as to what their next steps were after high school.   Held joined the Owls’ volleyball staff after playing two beach seasons at Georgia State in 2017 and 2018, finishing with a 33-29 overall record in dual play, including ranked victories over No. 7 LSU and No. 10 FIU. She was also a graduate assistant for the Panthers’ indoor team during the fall of 2018 and was an AVCA Coaches 4 Coaches recipient.   Originally from Festus, Mo., Held was a graduate transfer to GSU after playing four years on Northern Iowa’s indoor squad where she racked up a number of honors and accolades. Held started in every single match for UNI during her junior and senior years, being named an All-Missouri Valley Conference First Team selection both seasons.   She spent time as an outside hitter, libero, and defensive specialist at Northern Iowa, leading the team in kills, aces, and double-doubles her senior year. Held is one of two student-athletes in UNI history to record over 2,000 career digs, helping lead the team to two NCAA Tournament appearances in 2015 and 2016.   A tremendous worker on the court and in the classroom, Held was a three-time MVC Scholar Athlete First Team honoree. While working towards her master’s degree at Georgia State she was named to the President’s List all four semesters.   Held graduated with her bachelor’s degree in movement and exercise science from UNI.  

Stony Brook volleyball head coach Kristin Belzung announced the addition of Christiana Oyawale, former assistant coach at Barry University, to the program as an assistant coach on the Seawolves' staff for the 2024 season.   In her first season with the Seawolves, Oyawale helped the team to a 16-13 (9-9 CAA) record to secure the No. 6 seed in the CAA Championship Tournament, ultimately falling in the First Round to third-seeded host, Towson. She assisted in the development of four Seawolves that were named All-CAA selections in Kali Moore (First Team), Leoni Kunz and Torri Henry (Second Team), and Quinn Anderson (All-Rookie Team). With standout performances on the court and in the classroom, Julia Patsos, Kunz, and Moore were also selected to the 2024-25 College Sports Communicators’ Academic All-District Team. Oyawale comes to Long Island following a pair of seasons at Barry, where she helped the Buccaneers to a 39-24 record, going 21-19 in SSC play. During the 2022 season, the Bucs defeated Nova Southeastern, Lynn, and Tampa to dominate the NCAA South Regional and make it to the Elite Eight against Missouri-St. Louis. Oyawale played a pivotal role in the development of AVCA National Player of the Year and All-American selection Diana Akopova, SSC Rookie of the Year Varvara Osychenko, and All-Americans Marija Borcic and Djuly Schmorantz.   Prior to her time with the Bucs, Oyawale began her coaching career at Clarkson University where she spent three seasons under head coach Carol LaMarche. She helped the team to a 48-16 overall record with back-to-back trips to the NCAA Tournament. In 2019, the Knights went 28-6, winning the Regional Championship and advancing to the Division III final field. LaMarche and Oyawale were named the 2019 Liberty League Coaching Staff of the Year. The 2020 season would be cancelled due to the pandemic but a season later the squad went 20-10 while reaching the Regional Semifinals after defeating Stevenson 3-1 in the First Round.   During her tenure with Clarkson, nine Knights were named to the All-Liberty League teams, 16 earned All-Academic list, five were named AVCA All-America and three claimed CSC Academic All-America awards while earning a pair of Liberty League Championships.     Oyawale graduated from Syracuse University in 2018 with a degree in Information Management and Technology. Over the course of four years, she tallied 257 kills and 167 blocks, averaging 0.93 kills per set and 0.61 blocks per set. Her greatest accomplishment as a collegiate athlete, helping the Orange reach the NCAA Tournament in 2018 for the first time in program history.