Emily Hayes has been hired as an assistant coach with the St. Lawrence University Volleyball program. Hayes comes to Canton from Lourdes University where she served as assistant coach for the NAIA school in Sylvania, Ohio.

Hayes is a Texas native who was recruited by Hope College in 2010 after being named First-Team All-District her senior year at Anderson High School. After being a member of the Hope College program for two years, she was named the assistant coach for Hope where she worked alongside Head Coach Becky Schmidt whose team won the national championship in 2014. With her time at Hope, Emily was able to compete and partake as a coach as Hope advanced to the Sweet Sixteen and the Elite Eight for Division III volleyball. While at Hope, Emily posted a grade point average of 3.530 while earning her Bachelor of Art Degree in Classical Studies with a minor in Health Education.

"I am so excited to be welcomed in to the Saints volleyball family where I will continue to grow and learn from Coach Roiger and the rest of the St. Lawrence staff," said Hayes. "I cannot wait to be on campus and engulfed into such a tightly knit family that has been formed at SLU."

After graduating in 2014, Emily spent a season at Lourdes University (NAIA), acting as the men's and women's assistant volleyball coach, and has spent four seasons assisting the club director at Impact Dynamic Volleyball Club in west Michigan with indoor and outdoor volleyball programs for high school athletes.

"There is no doubt in my mind that Emily will be a tremendous addition to our coaching staff," said Head Coach Shelly Roiger who enters her sixth season at St. Lawrence. "Her enthusiasm is unending and her passion and care for her student athletes is very evident. She comes from an outstanding program and she is simply a winner and winners bring an attitude and expectation of excellence. I am very excited about her being here in Canton."

The Saints volleyball team opened preseason practices August 19th and open the 2015 campaign at SUNY Canton at 6 pm Tuesday, September 1st. The first home match occurs on Friday, September 25th when the Saints co-host the Canton Classic and take on SUNY Canton and Medaille College.