Steve Wilcosky enters his eighth season at the helm of the NSU volleyball program as the winningest coach in program history. Wilcosky holds an overall mark of 100-120 heading into the 2013 campaign.
The Sharks, relying mostly on freshmen and seniors in 2012, finished with a 4-28 mark. They took home two victories in the Setters Pace Classic in Pleasantville, N.Y., and swept through SSC rival Florida Tech on Sept. 29. Following the season, first-year outside hitter Sydney Cook was named to the SSC's All-Newcomer team.
The year prior, in 2011, the team faced adversity early with a pair of outside hitters suffering season-ending injuries prior to the first competition. NSU finished the season with an 8-20 mark and four wins in the SSC. The Sharks concluded the year on a high note, knocking off Rollins, 3-2, in the season finale.
In his fifth year as head coach of the Sharks in 2010, Wilcosky became the winningest coach in progrom history. Wilcosky recorded his 83rd win as NSU's head coach with a victory over the District of Columbia on Sept. 10, 2010 during the Shark Classic.
Carrying only one senior for the 2010 campaign, Wilcosky lead the Sharks to an overall 8-19 record for the 2010 season, with a 3-13 mark in the SSC. Senior Libero Kathleen Yony became the program digs leader against Rollins late in the year, finishing her career with 1,721 total digs. The team earned conference wins over Eckerd and Florida Tech, twice, while going 4-8 at matches at home.
In 2009, he led NSU to a 19-11 overall record, including a 10-6 record and a third place finish in the ultra-competitive Sunshine State Conference. The Sharks recieved their highest ever national ranking (No. 16 on 8/30/09) and made an appearance in the NCAA Division II Tournament for the third consecutive year.
Freshman middle blocker Carly Perschnick became the first player in program history to earn Sunshine State Conference and AVCA South Region Freshman of the Year honors. She was also named an AVCA Honorable Mention All-American and was listed on the SSC All-Freshman Team. In addition, setter Valia Petrova collected her second AVCA All-American award and was named Second-Team All-Sunshine State Conference while Yony earned a First-Team All-SSC nod.
Wilcosky led the Sharks volleyball team to unchartered waters in his third year at the helm for Nova Southeastern University in 2008. Not only did Wilcosky coach NSU to their second consecutive NCAA bid, but NSU captured their first-ever NCAA Division II South Regional Title to advance further than any team in program history. The Sharks fell just three victories shy of a national title and finished their season at 24-12.
The Sharks captured numerous honors for the first time ever in 2008. The accolades include Petrova being named AVCA National Player of the Week and having Petrova and Emily Carle earn the first AVCA All-America honors in program history.
In 2007, Wilcosky guided the Sharks to a 15-win improvement over the previous year, a second-place finish in the Sunshine State Conference, and the program’s first berth and win in the NCAA Division II South Region Tournament. The Sharks also set multiple program records in 2007, including most wins in a season since joining the NCAA Division II, fewest losses, best won/loss percentage, longest winning streak, longest games winning streak, most consecutive sweeps, highest ranked team ever beaten, and received votes in the national poll for the first time in program history.
The team also set statistical program records for most kills, assists, hitting percentage, aces, digs, and blocks in 2007.
For his accomplishments in 2007, Wilcosky was honored as the Sunshine State Conference Coach of the Year.
In 2006, under the direction of Wilcosky, the Sharks notched 11 victories which eclipsed the win total of the previous two seasons combined. During the season, NSU also fashioned an impressive four-match sweep on the road in the C.W. Post Tournament in early Sept.
Wilcosky joined the Sharks’ coaching staff following one season with Division I High Point University.
Prior to his time with the High Point volleyball program, Wilcosky had a successful five-year stint as an assistant coach at Greensboro College. While at Greensboro, the team captured a pair of USA South Conference Titles in 2000 and 2004. He also helped develop two conference Players of the Year, three Freshmen of the Year, 20 All-Conference performers and an Honorable Mention All-American.
In addition to his work at the collegiate level, Wilcosky served as the head coach of Team Florida Select Red, which finished seventh out of 35 teams in the High Performance Championships in 2007. He also acted as a USA Volleyball Developmental Coach in the off-season. He also serves as head coach of the 16-elite Boomer’s volleyball club, which is a local club program in Broward County. In 2010, this team was the first in South Florida to qualify for the junior national championships, in the 16-Open Division, held in Reno, Nevada.
Wilcosky previously has served as a head coach with the North Carolina High Performance squad. The High Performance team is a pipeline for the USA Volleyball program at the regional level and features many of the top prep volleyball players in North Carolina.
Other coaching stops on Wilcosky’s resume include nine years as the head coach for junior teams of the Piedmont Volleyball Club in the Junior Olympic Volleyball program. He also spent that season as the associate head coach of the Piedmont 16’s who finished 27th at the National Tournament.
A 2000 graduate of Guilford College with a bachelor’s degree in sports medicine, Wilcosky was a four-year letterwinner in football at his alma mater. He served as team captain for Guilford in 1999 and helped guide the squad to a conference championship in 1997. Wilcosky began his volleyball playing career as a two-time All-County performer at Miami (Fla.) Palmetto High School.
Wilcosky currently resides in Pemboke Pines.
