ROCKFORD, Ill. - The Rockford University athletic department is excited to announce the promotion of Raven Burns to the position of head women's volleyball coach effective immediately. Burns takes over at the helm of the program after spending the last five seasons as an assistant coach, including the last two as a full-time assistant. 

"We are excited to promote Raven Burns to our head women's volleyball coach," Director of Athletics Jason Mulligan stated. "Raven impressed the search committee, athletic staff and student-athletes throughout the interview process. We are all excited to see her take this next step in her career."

"I am honored to be named the head women's volleyball coach at Rockford University," Coach Burns stated. "We have a great group of young women here, and I am thrilled to be able to continue to work with and help them develop into strong individuals and leaders. I believe that we have established a solid foundation within our program and look forward to taking the next steps that will lead to more success both on and off the court."

During her time at Rockford, Coach Burns has played a crucial role in the development of the Regent hitters, particularly since being promoted to a full-time assistant beginning in the 2020 season. Over the last two years, Rockford attackers have received three NACC postseason awards, which were the first such honors for the program since the 2014 season. Additionally, this past year, the Regent hitters recorded their most kills in a season since 2009 and their best hitting percentage in a season since 2014. Burns was also heavily involved in game preparation, including creating scouting reports and doing film sessions.

Prior to joining the Regents, Burns coached club volleyball and played at the NCAA Division III level. Burns was a four-year member of the Concordia University Chicago (CUC) women's volleyball program, where she was voted a team captain during both her junior and senior seasons. She would subsequently earn her bachelor's degree from CUC in Sport and Fitness with a minor in Coaching, and then go on to receive a Master of Business Administration from Rockford University. 

"I would like to take a moment to thank Rockford University Director of Athletics Jason Mulligan and the rest of the administration for entrusting me with the opportunity to lead the women's volleyball program," Coach Burns remarked. "I also want to thank everyone else who supported me throughout my career because I would not be who I am today without them. I am excited to start this next chapter in my coaching career."

The Rockford University women's volleyball team opens its 2022 season at home on Thursday, September 1 against Beloit College. First serve is set for 7 PM in the Seaver Center.