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Cruz Named Head Coach at Manhattanville
PURCHASE, N.Y. – Looking to bring the Valiant
women’s volleyball program back to its previous heights,
Daniel Cruz has been named the new head women’s volleyball
coach at Manhattanville College, Athletic Director Keith Levinthal
announced on Tuesday.
Cruz takes over for interim head coach Casey Killard, who served
as head coach for the 2009 season following the departure of
Elizabeth Ching-Bush weeks before the start of the season.
“It gives me a great pleasure and honor to be named the new
head volleyball coach here at Manhattanville,” Cruz said.
“I especially want to thank Keith Levinthal for this new
opportunity in my coaching career. It’s not going to be easy
or come overnight, but I intend to bring a hardworking, winning
attitude to this program. I am excited for what lies ahead and I
can't wait to get on the court.”
As head coach, Cruz will be responsible for all aspects of the
Valiants’ Division III women’s volleyball program,
including game and practice preparation, scouting, on- and
off-campus recruiting, academic monitoring and alumni
relations.
A native of Paterson, N.J., Cruz brings six years of coaching
experience to Manhattanville, including the last five as head
women’s volleyball coach at Passaic County Community College.
In his time at PCCC, Cruz was named a two-time NJCAA Region XIX
Coach of the Year and the 2009 Garden State Conference Coach of the
Year after leading the team to a pair of NJCAA Region XIX Div. III
Tournament Championships and a berth in the District H
Championships. In five years, Cruz produced 14 first-team
All-Region XIX performers while performing all duties of head coach
at the school, including game and practice management, scheduling,
recruiting and academic advising.
While coaching at PCCC, Cruz has also spent the last three seasons
as an assistant with the men’s volleyball team at New Jersey
Institute of Technology, assisting with practice preparation and
serving as recruiting coordinator for the Division I program.
Cruz began his volleyball coaching career at Bergen Community
College, helping the team to a NJCAA Region XIX Div. III Tournament
Championship and earning NJCAA Region XIX Coach of the Year honors
in his only season of 2004.
Cruz attended Coppin State College, receiving his bachelor’s
degree from the school in 2003, and also earned his master’s
degree in education from Saint Peter’s College in 2006. In
addition to his volleyball duties, Cruz also has served as an
adjunct mathematics professor at PCCC since 2006 and has taught
second grade at The Academy of Performing Arts at Paterson P.S. 6
since 2005.
Cruz and the Manhattanville women’s volley will begin their
first season together on Saturday, September 2, when the Valiants
make the short trip down Anderson Hill Road to take on local foe
Purchase College at 7 p.m. The Valiants’ home and Freedom
Conference opener is scheduled for Wednesday, September 15 at 7
p.m. against Misericordia University.
