Syracuse volleyball hires Akiko Hatakeyama as associate head coach

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Syracuse volleyball announced it hired Akiko Hatakeyama as an associate head coach on Thursday morning. Hatakeyama spent last season as an assistant at Nevada, working with the setters.

Hatakeyama reunites with head coach Bakeer Ganesharatnam, who hired her as an assistant in 2011 when he was the head coach at Temple. Hatakeyama remained with the program under his tenure until 2020, being promoted to associate head coach in December 2016. Temple is her alma mater. Prior to her time at Nevada, she worked with a professional club.

Collegiately, Hatakeyama played at a junior college in Japan, before continuing her career in the United States. She played one season at Southern Mississippi (1996) before transferring to Temple for her final two seasons, contributing to the Owls’ first-ever NCAA Tournament berth in 1997. That year, she finished as an American Volleyball Coaches Association All-District Nominee. Professionally, she played for 11 years in Europe and for the now-folded United States Professional Volleyball League for one year in 2002.

Hatakeyama joins a Syracuse program that finished 11-17, winning just seven of 18 Atlantic Coast Conference games in Ganesharatnam’s first year as head coach. Prior to the 2022 season, the Orange had seven players transfer. AVCA All-American honorable mention Polina Shemanova, SU’s all-time kill leader, will not return next season after using all her eligibility, while Viktoriia Lokhmanchuk graduated this past winter.