Entering her 14th season as the head coach for Embry-Riddle, Jill Blasczyk has turned Eagle volleyball into a nationally ranked program and one that repeatedly contends for the Conference title.
Blasczyk and the Eagles returned to the top of the conference in 2021. Embry-Riddle stayed in the coaches' poll top-25 for most of the season, the team won the Cal Pac tournament, and participated in the 2021 NAIA National Tournament. ERAU finished with a 27-9 record, and had a 25-7 record in the regular season that saw the team defeat top teams in the NAIA. With the excellent performance, Blasczyk was named the Cal Pac Coach of the Year. Â
In 2019, Blasczyk led the Eagles to their fifth consecutive 20+ win season, and third straight undefeated regular season Cal Pac Conference record of 16-0, Cal Pac Conference Tournament Championship, and third appearance in the NAIA National Championships. The 2019 squad finished with a 29-7 overall record and were ranked as high as No. 22 in the nation. Including the 2019 season, Embry-Riddle captured the Cal Pac regular season title in five straight years. In her first eight seasons, she has coached 30 All-Conference players, including four Players of the Year, one Newcomer of the Year, two Freshmen of the Year, one Libero of the Year, 10 AVCA All-Region players, seven NAIA All-Americans, and 34 NAIA Scholar-Athletes. Blasczyk was named the AVCA Region Coach of the Year in both 2018 and 2019. Â
A native of San Diego, Calif., Blasczyk came to Embry-Riddle with extensive playing and coaching experience. Before being named Head Volleyball Coach for the 2012 season, she spent the previous two seasons as the assistant coach for the Eagles. Blasczyk has also been an invaluable part of the coaching staff for the Yavapai Juniors Volleyball Club. She served as the Head Coach at Bradshaw Mountain High School in Prescott Valley, Ariz. for two seasons, and prior to that spent two seasons at Cibola High School in Yuma, Ariz. While at Cibola, she was named the Gila Ridge Coach of the Year in 2006.
An Alumnus of the University of Arizona, Blasczyk has had some phenomenal playing experience as well. A four-year starter for the Wildcats, Blasczyk’s team made four consecutive trips to the NCAA National Championships. In 1999 the squad made it to the Sweet Sixteen, and in 2000, the team claimed the Pac-10 Championship en route to making the Elite Eight of the National Tournament. During her senior year, Arizona made it to the Women’s Volleyball Final Four, led by Blasczyk’s Pac-10 leading .426 hitting percentage. She earned Pac-10 All-Conference & AVCA Pacific All-Region honors and was named a first team All-American in 2001. Following her collegiate career, Coach Blasczyk spent a season playing professional volleyball for the Rebeldes de Moca in Moca, Puerto Rico.
Blasczyk has a B.A. in Sociology and Criminal Justice from the University of Arizona and a M.S. in Leadership from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
