Sonya Leszczynski is in her sixth season as the head coach of the AMU volleyball program. Her duties at Ave Maria include leading both the indoor and beach programs. Leszczynski was hired by the University in February 2018.
In her first season as the Gyrene head coach, Leszczynski oversaw a nearly 100 percent win increase from the prior season. Her first team set a new school record for digs in a season, and ranked in the top half of The Sun Conference in digs per game.
Leszczynski's second season was a breakthrough for the program, who posted a winning record and qualified for The Sun Conference Tournament. The Gyrenes went 14-13, and had a .500 record in conference play. Leszczynski coached two freshmen, Katie Grose and Madelyn Haut, to First Team All-Conference honors, while Grose was named the Sun Conference Freshman of the Year. During the season, Ave Maria won five weekly awards within the conference, shattering the program record.
In Leszczynski's third season at Ave Maria, the program completed their ascent into the upper echelon of The Sun Conference. The Gyrenes went 15-4, and earned both regular season and tournament runner-up status. Five Gyrenes were named All-Sun Conference, and four - Haut, Lily Witkoski, Victoria Schein, and Cabriella Bouterse - were honored by the conference as First Team selections. Additionally, Leszczynski was named the conference's co-Coach of the Year, and coached the league's Freshman (Zelie Kessler), Libero (Schein) and Setter (Witkoski) of the Year. The team also excelled in the classroom, with a conference-high eight players named Academic All-Sun Conference.
The 2021 season saw the Gyrenes finally reach the mountaintop in The Sun Conference, as Ave Maria won the Sun Conference Tournament title with postseason wins over Florida Memorial and Coastal Georgia. The Gyrenes played in the 2022 NAIA Tournament for the first time in school history, finishing the season with a 22-8 record. During the season, two Gyrenes (Haut and Witkoski) were named AVCA All-Region, and six - Haut, Witkoski, Bouterse, Schein, Abbie Costlow, and Rita Campos - earned All-Conference honors.Â
AMU's success continued in 2022, where the Gyrenes finished as regular season runners-up in The Sun Conference. AMU posted an overall record of 19-6, and won eleven of 14 Sun Conference matches. The Gyrenes put six players on the All-Sun Conference team, with two - Haut and Bouterse - earning AVCA All-Region honors. Bouterse was also named the program's second NAIA All-American, earning Honorable Mention honors following her senior season at Ave Maria.
Leszczynski has also been the school's beach volleyball coach since the inception of the program. The Gyrenes finished fifth at the AVCA Small College Beach Nationals in 2021, and finished second in The Sun Conference in the first season of league play in 2022. In 2022, the Gyrenes were ranked in the top ten nationally throughout the year, and the pairing of Alejandra Suarez and Lily Witkoski were recognized as Sun Conference Pair of the Year. Additionally, three pairs earned AVCA Top Flight honors. In 2023, the Gyrenes once again finished as Sun Conference runner-ups, doing so in both the regular season and postseason. Another pair, Katie Grose and Reina Thomas, earned AVCA Top Flight honors.
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Leszczynski has coached volleyball for nearly two decades, working in Texas, New York, and Florida. Her coaching career includes times with the West Austin Volleyball Club, AJVC Club in Austin, Texas, Jellys Club in Venice, Florida, Coachup in New York and Florida, and Erie Community College in New York.
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In 2016, she served as an assistant coach at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York, a Division I program playing in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. While at Canisius, Leszczynski created scouting reports and conducted recruiting visits, among other duties.
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Before the 2017 season, Leszczynski took over the volleyball program at Imagine School in North Port. She oversaw a three-team program, and served as the head coach for both the varsity and junior varsity teams. She led the Sharks to their first district win in school history, and improved the team's win-loss record by 35 percent.
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Following a Hall of Fame playing career at Sweet Home High School in New York, Leszczynski played at the University of Central Florida, where she was an honorable mention all-conference selection for the Knights. During her playing career, she also was an All-American selection at the AAU Junior Olympic Games and a five-time gold medalist at the Empire State Games.
She graduated from North Carolina State University, earning her degree in Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management.
Accolades:
2020 Sun Conference co-Coach of the Year
2021 Sun Conference Tournament Champions
