Xavier Gold Nuggets hire Marroccoli as assistant coach

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana has hired Kenneth Marroccoli as a women's volleyball assistant coach. He began work July 1.      Marroccoli, 24, was an assistant coach at city rival Loyola University the past two seasons. The Wolfpack were 51-20 during Marroccoli's tenure, including 28-9 in 2012 to break that program's season record for winning percentage. The 2012 Wolfpack began the season with eight consecutive victories and won 11 straight during the second half of the season — the Wolfpack's longest streak in 10 years.      "I am pleased to welcome Kenny to the XU volleyball family," said first-year head coach Hannah Lawing. "I look forward to working with him this season and to his contributions to the continued growth and improvement of our program."      Marroccoli — a New Orleans native and a 2008 graduate of Archbishop Rummel High School in suburban Metairie, La. — also has coaching experience at the club, high school and elementary levels. He was an assistant on the Cabrini High School team which reached the Division II (Class 4A) state semifinals in 2010. Marroccoli's club experience is with the New Orleans-based Cajunland and Krewe programs.

Kenneth Marroccoli

 

Xavier is a two-time defending Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament champion. The Gold Nuggets were 22-8 in 2012 and return all their major contributors from that team, including GCAC Player of the Year Taylor Reuther, first-team All-GCAC players Moira Kirk and Franziska Pirkl and second-teamers Chinedu Echebelem, Jodi Chatters and CeCe Williams. Echebelem was the GCAC Tournament MVP.

    

The Gold Nuggets will begin their season Aug. 23 with matches against Spring Hill at 2 p.m. and Asbury at 4 p.m. in the UMobile/Spring Hill Tournament at Mobile, Ala. The Gold Nuggets' first home match will start at 1 p.m. on Sept. 14 against GCAC newcomer Voorhees in the new Convocation Center.


By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA