Katie Urycki - Women's Volleyball Coach - Quinnipiac University Athletics

Photo by: Ephemia Nicolakis

Katie Urycki

Title:
Volleyball Assistant Coach
Email:
katie.urycki@quinnipiac.edu
Phone:
(203) 582-7784

Katie Urycki ’17 enters her sixth season as a member of head coach Kyle Robinson's staff with the Quinnipiac volleyball team in 2024. Urycki spent her first four seasons serving as an assistant coach before being promoted to Associate Head Coach on Feb. 16, 2023.

In her first season as Associate Head Coach, she helped the Bobcats to 19 wins, the most wins in the Robinson era. She also helped the Bobcats to a 14-win conference slate which earned them the No. 2 seed for the MAAC Tournament. Those 14 conference wins marked the most conference victories for the Bobcats in a single season. They faced No. 6 Iona in the MAAC Semifinals and defeated them in four sets.

Urycki saw nine players selected to the MAAC All-Academic team in 2023, as well as Damla Gunes being named Setter of the Year in the conference. With the accolade, Gunes became the first player in program history to be named the Setter of the Year and the first Bobcat to earn a major award since Alejandra Rodriguez was named the MAAC Libero of the Year in 2019.

Along with Gunes, Ginevra Giovagnoni were named to the All-MAAC First team. Aryanah Diaz was tabbed to the All-MAAC Second team and first year Leilani-kai Giusta was named to the All-MAAC Rookie team.

Under Urycki's leadership as assistant coach in 2022, she helped lead the Bobcats to 14 wins, tying for the most wins in a single season during head coach Kyle Robinson's tenure at the time. Quinnipiac won 10 MAAC regular season contests, powered by nine wins in its last 11 regular season games to earn the No. 6 seed entering the MAAC Volleyball Championship. As the No. 6 seed, Quinnipiac upset No. 3 Iona to advance to the MAAC Semifinals for the third time in four seasons under coach Robinson and Urycki. The Bobcats went on to defeat No. 7 Rider in straight sets to earn its second berth in four seasons into the MAAC Championship game, where Quinnipiac would run into top-seeded Fairfield. Unwavered, the Bobcats went on to down No. 1 Fairfield in four sets to earn the program’s first ever MAAC title and automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament. Senior Aryanah Diaz was named the 2022 MAAC Championship MVP, while first-years Damla Gunes and Ginevra Giovagnoni were named to the 2022 MAAC Championship All-Tournament Team.

That season, Quinnipiac volleyball saw three players earn All-MAAC accolades, led by senior outside hitter Aryanah Diaz earning All-MAAC First Team honors, as announced by the league office on Wednesday, November 16. Along with Diaz earning First Team honors, graduate student Nicole Legg was named to the All-MAAC Second team, while first-year setter Damla Gunes was named to the All-MAAC Rookie Team as well.

Under Robinson's and Urycki's guidance in 2021, Quinnipiac won nine MAAC regular season games and qualified for the 2021 MAAC Volleyball Championship as the No. 6 seed for the second time in her tenure. The Bobcats upset the No. 3 seeded Marist Red Foxes in the MAAC Quarterfinals to reach the MAAC Semifinals for the second time in three seasons. That season, the Bobcats saw Nicole Legg earn All-MAAC First Team honors, while Faave Kimsel Moe earned MAAC All-Rookie Team honors.

In an abbreviated 2020-21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, at Robinson's side, Urycki helped lead the Bobcats to three wins in eight contests with all three wins coming against MAAC opponents. Robinson led the program to their second consecutive MAAC Championship berth, entering the tournament as the No. 7 seed. That season under Robinson, the Bobcats saw Maggie Baker garner All-MAAC First Team honors.

The Bobcats won eight MAAC regular season games and qualified for the 2019 MAAC Volleyball Championship as a six seed. Quinnipiac upset No. 3 Rider and No. 2 Canisius to make it to the MAAC Championship game against Fairfield. Under Robinson, the Bobcats also earned their first MAAC Libero of the Year award as senior Alejandra Rodriguez earned the honor. She was also named to the All-MAAC Second Team. Senior Kaleigh Oates joined Rodriguez on the All-MAAC Second Team.

In her playing career at Quinnipiac, Urycki finished among the all-time leaders in kills and aces. She was a jack of all trades kind of player, playing multiple positions including Outside Hitter, Right Side Hitter and Libero.

Urycki was also a part of the best Quinnipiac volleyball team in the Division 1 era, finishing 21-13. Their record was the biggest record jump in all of Division 1 that season.

Following her playing career, Urycki got into coaching with the CT Juniors Volleyball Club, coaching at multiple levels within the club. She also served as an assistant coach for The Morgan School varsity volleyball program, and served as a coach on the sideline for the Trojan Volleyball Club.

Urycki, a native of Chesterton, Indiana, graduated from Quinnipiac in 2017 with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Athletic Training/Sports Medicine, and earned her Master’s degree in Sports Administration from the University of Miami in 2019. While currently serving as an assistant coach for the Bobcats, Urycki is working towards obtaining her MBA at Quinnipiac University.