Women's Volleyball
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- sbaile26@kent.edu
- Phone:
- 330-672-8446
Coaching veteranย Steve Baileyย begins his fourth season as an assistant on Kent State volleyball head coachย Don Gromala'sย staff. Bailey works closely with the teamโs outside hitters and middle blockers.
ย Againย in 2014ย Kent State showed signs of a program on the rise. With 17 overall wins, 8 conference wins and a MAC tournament win all for the first time since 2007. The team made major improvements on their blocking from the 2013 season. In 2014 they led the MAC in blocks and finished 69th in the NCAA with 2.34 per set. The 287.5 total blocks was the third highest in Kent State history.This past season saw 16 matches with 10 or more blocks compared to 8 total in the previous 2 seasons combined. Liz Reikow led the MAC with 1.16 blocks per set. Her 143 blocks are second in Kent State history. Reikow finished her career top 5 in Kent history in total blocks, solo blocks, block assits and blocks per set. Reikow and Tinuke Andremi-Ibitola were named All-MAC 2nd teamย
Theย 2013 season saw the Golden Flashes posting a 12-18 record and qualifying for the Mid-American Conference Tournament for the first time since the current eight-team format was introduced in 2011. The Golden Flashes doubled their overall and conference win totals from the previous season.
Baileyโs work was on display in the programโs signature victory of the 2013 campaign, as opposite Kelly Hutchison put on a hitting exhibition as the Flashes knocked off #18 Ohio for the first victory over a ranked opponent in program history.
The improvement of Kent Stateโs pins played a large role in the programโs growth from his first year on staff. The Flashes posted 12.40 kills per set in 2013, an improvement of more than one kill per set from his first season with the team. The team also increased its hitting by 16 percentage points.
Prior to joining Gromalaโs staff at Kent State, Bailey enjoyed a five-year stint on the bench at Kishwaukee College (Ill.) in which the Kougars compiled a 175-31 record (.850). He helped mentor four AVCA First Team All-Americans and seven First Team NJCAA Academic All-Americans during his stint at Kishwaukee.
Bailey served as head coach during his final two years at Kishwaukee, leading the Kougars to a third-place finish at the NJCAA Division II Tournament in 2011 and a sixth-place finish in 2010. He garnered NJCAA Region 4 Coach of the Year honors for both seasons and was named Midwest Region Coach of the Year by the AVCA in 2011.
Additionally, Bailey has several years of coaching experience at the club level, having served as the lead trainer for Club Fusion and the director of operations for Avalanche Volleyball Club. His collegiate coaching career began when he served as an associate head coach at Kishwaukee College.
A native of Naperville, Ill., Bailey earned a business management degree from the University of Phoenix in 2012.
