LOUDONVILLE, NY – In the midst of her first season at the helm of the Siena Volleyball program, head coach Simone Asque has announced the hiring of Wioleta (Viola) Kotulak as the program’s newest assistant coach. An accomplished NCAA Division I volleyball, Kotulack also brings collegiate coaching experience to the program.
It has been fantastic to add Viola to my coaching staff,” Asque said. “She brings a wealth of playing and coaching experience that has been an immediately impactful addition to the team. Viola has also helped support our team culture in the way she cares for the team as student-athletes and as people. To me, it has been invaluable to have my entire coaching staff on the same page of really caring for the student-athletes we have the privilege to work with every day.”
Kotulak joins the Saints following a stint as an Assistant Coach at nearby Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York from 2018-22. She aided in recruiting and game day preparation and helped the Thoroughbreds to two winning seasons while with the program. Kotulak also served as the Varsity Head Coach at Glens Falls High School in Glens Falls, New York from 2014-19, as well as a coach with the Iroquois-Empire Volleyball Association (IREVA) from 2016-16.
A native of Bielsko-Biala, Poland, the former Viola Leszczynska put together one of the most storied four-year playing careers in the history of St. John’s Volleyball from 2006-08. After transferring to the program from the Globe Institute of Technology, the setter held the Red Storm to an 85-18 record over three seasons, including three Big East Regular Season Championships, a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances and the 2007 Big East Tournament title. A three-time AVCA All-America Honorable Mention and AVCA First Team All-Region selection, she was named the 2008 Big East Player of the Year, 2007-08 Big East Female Scholar Athlete of the Year, was a two-time First Team All-Big East honoree. Kotulak led the nation in assists with a program record 1,760 in 2007, and is currently fourth in program history in assists (4,374) and ninth in service aces (116). She was inducted into the St. John’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2014.
Kotulak thrived in international play as a member of the Junior Polish National Team. She won a gold medal at the Junior European Championships and two more gold medals at the Junior European Championships. Kotulak also claimed a silver medal in the Vietnam Television Cup.
Kotulak earned her Associate’s Degree in Business Administration from the Global Institute of Technology in 2006, and received a Bachelor of Science in Sport Management St. John’s in 2009. She has been certified as a volleyball referee by USA Volleyball since 2019.
courtesy: Siena
