HAMILTON – Colgate Head Volleyball Coach Ryan Baker announced the addition of Aris Bird to his staff as an assistant coach.
 
Bird comes to Colgate after serving as the head volleyball coach at nearby Utica since 2013. During her tenure with the Pioneers, Bird compiled 44 wins while mentoring several All-Conference and Academic honorees, including 14 Empire 8 President's List selections. Additionally, two school records were broken (assists and kills), UC defeated Elmira for the first time in program history, St. John Fisher for the first time in 15 years and recently advanced to the Empire 8 playoffs for the first time since 2002.

"Aris is a great fit for our program, Baker said. "She is hard working, organized, and has a real passion for the game. She is able to hit the ground running after leading a collegiate program for many years.

"I'm excited to have her knowledge on our sideline."
 
Bird, who played four years of volleyball at Niagara, has coached volleyball in different capacities at Granville High School (2008-2011), Herkimer County Community College (2012) and Dolgeville High School (2007-2013). 

She held a position as an Algebra teacher at Dolgeville and also taught middle school math at Granville for four years. She currently is the Assistant Director of the National Reporting Service for New York State.

"I am thrilled to be part of the volleyball program here at Colgate and working under Ryan Baker," Bird said. "The volleyball program excels on and off the court year after year while maintaining a family oriented focus. Every coach wants to be part of the type of program Ryan has created here at Colgate and I am very happy for this opportunity."

As a student-athlete at Niagara, she helped contribute to Niagara's 36 victories over the course of her career, including a 16-win season as a sophomore where the Purple Eagles advanced as far as the semifinals of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament.
 
She was a 2006 MAAC All-Academic Team selection after posting the second highest cumulative grade point average on the team (3.75).  She helped to build the foundation for a program that has advanced to three consecutive NCAA Tournaments (2010, 2011 & 2012).

Bird graduated from Niagara in 2008 with a bachelor's degree in Math Education and she was a member of Kappa Mu Epsilon (Mathematic Honor Society). In 2010 she earned a master's in mathematics (6-8) from Walden University and in 2014 she earned a second master's in coaching and athletic administration at Concordia University. 

Bird currently resides in Raquette Lake, N.Y., with her husband Mark and daughter Bayli.