SUNY University at Albany Women's Volleyball

Honors and Accomplishments • 2019 America East Coaching Staff of the Year   Coaching Career • Head Coach, University at Albany (2019-present) • Associate Head Coach, University at Albany (2016-2019) • Assistant Coach, University at Albany (2015-2016) • Assistant Coach, Montana State University (2012-2015) • Volunteer Assistant Coach, Ohio University (2011) • Coach, Premier Volleyball Academy (Maumee, Ohio) (2007-11) • Assistant Coach, Olivet University (2005-06)   Education • B.A., International Relations, Michigan State University (2002)   At UAlbany 2022 The Great Danes opened the season with four tournaments all across the East Coast. Seeing competition at James Madison (Virginia) and Navy (Maryland), UAlbany's third tournament was in New York State at Cornell. After earning two wins over Cornell and Colgate and opening the home season with a win over Marist, the Great Danes closed the tournament portion of their schedule at nationally-ranked Penn State.  Throughout the conference season, UAlbany added contests against Chicago State, Siena, Stonehill, and Sacred Heart. The 2022 season came to a close after Senior Day on November 13.  2021 The Great Danes saw a 2nd place regular-season finish in the America East at the conclusion of the 2021 season. With a 13-14 record ahead of the America East Tournament, UAlbany entered the championship tournament with an 8-4 America East record. Having gone undefeated in conference play, UMBC earned the number one seed and right to host the America East Championship. With a day of prep in Maryland, the Great Danes defeated third-seeded New Hampshire in a three-set sweep before facing UMBC for the championship. UAlbany held their own but fell in a five-set match to the Retrievers. Danielle Tedesco and Oren Abutbul were named to the All-Championship team. Fifth-year Danielle Tedesco capped off her career the 2021 America East Player of the Year. 2020-21 In his second season as UAlbany's head coach, Pickard led the team to a 10-5 overall record, 9-3 in conference play (two of the losses were a result of forfeit due to precautionary traveling reasons). The team earned a share of the America East Regular Season title and UAlbany hosted the America East Championship. In a hard-fought battle with UMBC, the Great Danes fell 15-13 in a five-set thriller to end the season. Pickard coached Kamara Kelly to AVCA Honorable Mention All-America and All-East Region Honorable Mention honors as the America East Player of the Year. He also guided Charlotte Macken to America East Defensive Specialist of the Year. Danielle Tedesco rounded out the Great Danes' annual awards with an America East First Team All-Conference honor. 2019 In his first season as head coach, Pickard led UAlbany to its first America East Championship title since 2011. Beating Hartford in a five-set thriller, the Great Danes closed the season at the NCAA Tournament with a match against #2 Texas.  UAlbany finished 2019 boasting a 9-1 record in the conference, securing the top seed and the regular season title. In spectacular fashion, the Great Danes went the entirety of October without a single loss. Pickard and his staff were named the 2019 America East Coaching Staff of the Year for their efforts. They led the Great Danes to five All-America East honorees. In the America East Tournament, UAlbany defeated rival Stony Brook in four sets in the semifinals, and then beat Hartford for the America East Champion title. Senior Akuabata Okenwa garnered Most Outstanding Player accolades along with earning a spot with Danielle Tedesco and Charlotte Macken on the All-Championship Team.   Notable Student-Athletes • Nicole Otero '19 - Otero was a three-time America East Defensive Specialist of the year honoree. A four-time all-conference selection, she graduate from UAlbany ranked third in program histroy with 1,891 career digs.   As an Assistant Pickard first joined the UAlbany staff in 2015 as the assistant coach and head recruiter for the volleyball team. In 2016, he was promoted to associate head coach and took over as the team's defensive coordinator. As an assistant coach, Pickard helped the Great Danes win a share of the 2015 America East Regular Season title and earn a place in the conference title match. UAlbany went 17-9 overall, its winningest season since 2011, with an 11-1 conference record. After being promoted to associate head coach in 2016, Pickard helped lead the team to a 16-10 overall record, 9-3 in the America East. The 2016 season saw the team's first outright in-season tournament title since 2012 with three wins in the West Point Invitational and its third consecutive appearance in the America East title match. In 2017, Pickard's third season with UAlbany, the Great Danes won the America East Regular Season title, going 11-15 overall with an 11-1 league record. UAlbany earned an automatic berth into the revitalized National Volleyball Invitational Championship for the team's first postseason since 2011.   Playing Career As a student at Michigan State, Pickard played four years on the men's volleyball club team (1998-2002).   Prior to UAlbany Pickard comes to UAlbany after serving as the first assistant coach, handling the recruiting and defensive coordination, at Montana State for the past three seasons. He coached four all-conference players and was responsible for the budgeting and team travel. During the 2011 season, he served as a volunteer assistant coach at Ohio University. He coached three all-conference players as the Bobcats won 25 matches throughout the season. Previous to being a Division I coach, Pickard served as a travel coordinator and national team coach at the Premier Volleyball Academy in Ohio (Januar 2007-August 2011).    Personal He currently resides in New York with his wife, Melissa.   Year Record America East Record America East Regular-Season Finish America East Tournament NCAA Tournament 2019 16-11 9-1 1st Beat #4 Stony Brook, 3-1, in the semifinals Beat #3 Hartford, 3-2, for the champion title Fell to #2 Texas, 3-0, in the First Round 2020* 10-5 9-3 1st (tied) Fell to #2 UMBC, 3-2, in the championship 2021 14-15 8-4 2nd Beat #3 New Hampshire, 3-0, in the semifinals Fell to #1 UMBC, 3-2, in the championship 2022 7-20 2-8 5th 47-51 28-16 1 - America East Championship Titles 3 - America East Championship Appearances 2 - America East Semifinal Appearances 1 - NCAA Appearance *The 2020 season was a shortened season played in the spring of 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  

A native of New York State, Heather Feldman joins the Great Dane staff ahead of the 2023 season. Feldman will coach the Great Danes after five seasons of experience at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES). Most recently serving as the Associate Head Coach, she was as the primary setter trainer when Ivana Blazevic broke the school record in career assists. With all-around coaching experience, she developed offensive systems, worked with passers, and created a serving scheme that led the NCAA in aces per set in 2019.   Starting her coaching career as a graduate assistant, she coached her own team, Gardner-Webb University. The Runnin’ Bulldogs’ primary setting coach, she planned practice and coordinated the team’s travel and recruit visits. In charge of fundraising, Feldman organized and marketed the Dig Lime charity fundraiser for Leukemia and Lymphoma.   A four-year starter and two-time captain for GWU, Feldman recorded the second-highest assists in program history (4,545) and a top-ten 1,112 career digs. Finishing her career with 54 double-doubles and 13 matches with 50+ assists, she earned the Big South Conference’s Christenberry Award for Academic Excellence, an award given to the conference’s male and female student-athletes with the highest cumulative GPA.   A native of Eden, N.Y., Feldman graduated summa cum laude from GWU with a Bachelor of Arts in Music in 2015 and a Master of Business Administration in 2018.  

A native of Orange County, California, Kevin Baran-Maguire joins the Great Dane staff ahead of the 2025 season. Baran-Maguire arrives in Albany following a two-year stint at Jessup University, where he served as an assistant coach for both the women’s and men’s volleyball programs. On the women’s side, he helped guide the Warriors to a 19-13 record in their first NCAA Division II season, a fourth-place PacWest Conference finish, and a trip to the NCCAA National Tournament championship match. He also played a key role in launching the men’s program, leading the inaugural squad to a 15-9 record and an NCCAA National Championship. His responsibilities included developing offensive and blocking systems, preparing scouting reports, and executing match game plans. Before Jessup, Baran-Maguire spent two seasons with the Concordia University Irvine men’s volleyball program, first as a graduate assistant and later as an assistant coach. During his tenure, the Eagles earned five ranked upset victories, including wins over Loyola Chicago, Grand Canyon, and Pepperdine, while also securing a top-10 nationally ranked recruiting class. He has additional coaching experience at the club level with ProPlay Volleyball Club and Pulse Volleyball Club, mentoring athletes who advanced to NCAA Division I and II programs, and is a certified volleyball referee and private instructor. As a student-athlete, Baran-Maguire competed at Rivier University and Hope International University, earning all-conference honors in 2015 and 2016, all-region recognition in 2016, and ranking fourth nationally in the NAIA in kills during his senior season. Born in Toronto, Canada, Baran-Maguire earned his Bachelor of Business Administration from Hope International University in 2016 and later completed his Master of Coaching and Athletics Administration at Concordia University Irvine in 2023.