April 9, 2009
CHICAGO- UIC head volleyball coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley announced on Thursday, Apr. 9 that Ellen Hayes has joined the Flames as an assistant coach.
Hayes, who played on the prep level at local powerhouse Mother McAuley and in the collegiate ranks at DePaul, comes to UIC after two years as an assistant coach at Marshall.
"I am thrilled that Ellen is joining our staff here at UIC," said Schumacher-Cawley. "Ellen brings great energy, intensity, an understanding of this area and what direction this program needs to go in. She has the passion for the game and the experience recruiting with local ties here to Chicago."
"I am incredibly grateful to Katie Schumacher-Cawley and the UIC athletic administration for the opportunity to return to Chicago and join the UIC family," said Hayes. "It is such an honor to work for Katie and be part of the athletic tradition at UIC."
Hayes joins Sara Hughes, who enters her second season on the UIC staff, as assistants to Schumacher-Cawley, who was named the program's head coach this past December.
"Both Ellen and Sara are competitive and have the drive to do what it takes to get UIC on the national volleyball map," Schumacher-Cawley said.
Hayes served as an assistant to head coach Mitch Jacobs at Marshall for the 2007 and 2008 campaigns. While there she helped the Thundering Herd win the 2007 Conference USA regular season title and post records of 36-24 overall and 20-12 in conference play.
In addition to her coaching experience at Marshall, Hayes served as head coach of the First Alliance/Fearless Volleyball Club based in Western Springs, Ill. from 2006-07.
The Evergreen Park, Ill. native was a decorated four-year letterwinner as a libero for the Blue Demons from 2002-2006, serving as DePaul's team captain from 2004-06. Hayes earned All-Conference USA Third Team accolades in 2004, when she set the school's fifth all-time best mark in single-season digs with 510 and established the McGrath Arena record for digs in a single match (34) against Tulane that October.
Off the court Hayes was a BIG EAST Academic All-Star, a C-USA Academic Honor Roll student-athlete and a constant on the DePaul Athletic Director's Honor Roll. She was an active member of DePaul's Student-Athlete Captain's Council, serving as the organization's vice president in 2006-07, and earned both the DePaul University Outstanding Senior Award and the DePaul Senior Leadership Award for Athletics.
As a prep star at Mother McAuley on Chicago's South Side, Hayes was a key component for the Mighty Macs during their IHSA volleyball championship run in 2000.
