SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Santa Clara head volleyball coach Erin Lindsey announced on Tuesday the hiring of Aylene Ilkson as an assistant coach.

Ilkson joins the Broncos from George Mason University where she served as the head coach for the past five seasons, leading the Patriots to their first-ever appearance in the Atlantic 10 Championship Tournament in 2018 after posting a program-best conference record that season.

"I am very excited to be joining the staff here at Santa Clara University," said Ilkson. "I could tell as soon as I got to campus how much support is behind the volleyball program and that something special is happening in this athletics department.  Having previously worked with Erin, I know what a great mentor and leader she is and the vision she has for this program is something I knew I wanted to be a part of.  I cannot wait to get started working with the incredible women of this team and look forward to my future as a Bronco."

Under Ilkson's leadership, George Mason earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association Team Academic Award for five-straight seasons.

Prior to her stint at George Mason, Ilkson served as the director of operations at the University of North Carolina for a season and was an assistant coach at Dartmouth from 2015-16.

Ilkson got her first head coaching job at the United State Coast Guard Academy, leading the Bears to a 41-20 record with back-to-back semifinal appearances in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Tournament.

The former Division III All-America outside hitter at Springfield College broke into the coaching ranks at her alma mater in 2010 where she spent three seasons and made the NCAA Tournament each year including an Elite Eight appearance in 2011.

Ilkson graduated with a bachelor's degree in movement and sports studies in 2009 and earned a master's degree in athletic administration from Springfield in 2012.

Coach Lindsey on Ilkson: "We are so excited to welcome Aylene to the Bronco volleyball family. She brings a ton of coaching experience to our team and will bring great mentorship to our student-athletes. Aylene will work primarily with our 1st contact skills and pin hitters. Her passion for empowering young women and growing the sport of volleyball makes her a perfect cultural fit for our program."

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