CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
- Winningest head coach in program history
- NEC Coach of the Year (2021, 2025)
- Recruited and coached two NEC Players of the Year (Madi Tyus [2021], Korrin Burns [2025]), one NEC Rookie of the Year (Maggie Hogan [2021]), and coached one NEC Libero of the Year (Jenna Veres [2017])
- Coached 10 All-NEC first-team performers and seven All-NEC second-team performers
- Coached two NEC Scholar-Athletes of the Year (Elise Dumouchelle [2019], Korrin Burns [2024])
Sara Spielvogel completed her 10th season in 2025, and her team rose to new heights, posting a program-record 20 wins overall and 14 in NEC play. The Red Flash reached the NEC Championship Game for the first time since 2008 and the seventh time in team history. She was named the NEC Coach of the Year for the second time in her career in 2025.
Spielvogel, who defeated Morgan State 3-0 on August 27, 2016, at the La Salle Tournament, will enter the 2026 season needing one win to reach 100 career victories. She became the program’s all-time winningest head coach with her 81st victory thanks to a 3-2 win against Siena on September 5, 2025. She passed Scott Gleason, a current assistant for the Saint Francis men’s volleyball team, who had 80 wins (2001-07).
Korrin Burns became the second player under Spielvogel to be named NEC Player of the Year in 2025 after Madi Tyus earned the honor in 2021. In addition, Burns rewrote the record book, setting new season and career standards for kills, and boasting six of the Top-8 single-game marks for kills. Burns also ranked Top-5 nationally in kills and points. Alexandra Sappia was also named to the All-NEC first team and tied the program record for assists in a single season, while helping the Red Flash rank fourth in NCAA Division I for service aces per game after the team led the nation in the category in 2024. Sappia also ranked in the Top-5 nationally for assists and service aces.
Since 2021, Saint Francis has advanced to the NEC Tournament each of the past five years, posting a 74-63 overall record and a 53-19 mark in NEC play. It is the best five-year stretch in program history.
The team continues to excel in the classroom and has earned AVCA Team Academic Team honors in every season, extending the Saint Francis streak to 14 consecutive years. Burns became the third player in program history to be named the NEC Women’s Volleyball Student-Athlete of the Year in 2024, while Elise Dumouchelle earned the honor in 2019. A player has also been named to the College Sports Communicators All-District team 15 times under Spielvogel, with Burns becoming the first player to be named to the team three times.Â
Saint Francis advanced to the NEC Tournament for the fourth straight year in 2024 after the Red Flash finished 14-13 overall and 10-4 in NEC play. It was the first time in program history that the team posted an overall winning record in back-to-back seasons, a streak that was extended to three consecutive seasons in 2025. Burns and Kori McClure were selected to the All-NEC first team, and Sappia earned All-NEC second-team honors.
Spielvogel earned her first overall winning season in 2023, going 15-11 and 10-4 in conference play, the first winning season since 2006. Burns and Skye Eicher were named to the All-NEC first team. The Red Flash made the NEC Tournament for the third consecutive year.
In 2022, Spielvogel led the Red Flash to their second consecutive postseason appearance. Tyus was named to the All-NEC first team, and Emma Fenton and Maggie Hogan were named to the All-NEC second team. Tyus would finish second in program history in career kills, three shy of the program record.
In 2021, Spielvogel earned NEC Coach of the Year for the first time in her career while leading the Red Flash squad to the first NEC Tournament in seven years. Tyus was named the NEC Player of the Year and earned a spot as an AVCA All-America honorable mention. Nicole Adams joined Tyus on the first team, and Kimmy Sweeney earned All-NEC second team honors. Maggie Hogan was named the NEC Rookie of the Year to become the first Red Flash player since 2000 to earn the distinction.
Spievogel was named the seventh head coach in program history in 2016 and began rejuvenating the program in her first four years at the helm. Her first four seasons were highlighted by Veres being named the NEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2017, a first in program history. Veres set the program record for digs in a season and a career and owns the top five single-game dig numbers, all under Spielvogel's guidance.Â
Veres was also named to the All-NEC first team in 2017, along with Kelsey Roush being selected to the All-NEC second team for the first all-conference recognition since 2014. Tyus was named to the All-NEC second team in 2019.
Prior to Saint Francis, Spielvogel spent a season on the College of Wooster staff. The Fighting Scots had a four-win improvement from the previous season and had its best start to a season since 1969. Spielvogel also helped mentor senior Savannah Moore to All-NCAC honorable mention honors.
Spielvogel spent the 2014 season as a volunteer assistant coach at her alma mater, California (Pa.). The Vulcans finished 30-9 overall and 17-5 in PSAC play. Entering the PSAC Tournament as the fourth seed, California went on to win the conference title, losing just one set across its three tournament matches. In the NCAA Tournament, the Vulcans advanced to the Regional Championship for the ninth consecutive season before falling to Wheeling Jesuit.
Spielvogel was a standout player at Cal U, earning AVCA First-Team All-Region and All-PSAC Second-Team honors as a libero. She finished her career with the Vulcans ranked second in program history with 171 aces and seventh with 1,197 digs. Spielvogel helped foster a culture of success at Cal U as the team had a pair of appearances in the NCAA Division II National Championship quarterfinals. The Vulcans also won three PSAC titles. In her four years with the program, Cal U posted a 132-26 record.
Following her playing career, she began her coaching career as an assistant at Washington & Jefferson. After the Presidents went 10-16 in 2012, she helped guide the team to a five-win improvement in her second season, finishing with a 15-11 record. That was the team’s best campaign in five years.
