Head Coach Rob Pichardo enters his 18th season with the women’s volleyball program at Ramapo College. He has led the Lady Roadrunners to 15 NJAC Tournament appearances, including five championship match appearances and five semi-final match appearances, in addition to six ECAC’s tournament bids and one ECAC’s Tournament Title. Pichardo led the Roadrunners to the program's first NCAA berth during the 2016 season. He holds an impeccable career coaching record that now stands at 398-221 in Women’s Volleyball, along with an overall record in Men’s Volleyball of 100-47, (498-268 Women’s & Men’s combined). At Ramapo he holds a record of 298-177 in 16 seasons.
During his tutelage at Ramapo, there has been a number of Student-Athlete award recipients for the NJAC conference. 63 Weekly awards ranging from Rookie of the Week, Defensive Player of the Week, and Player of the Week, including ECAC’s Player of the Week in 14 different occasions. On a bigger stage awards, there has been 10 NAJC 1
st Team Recognitions, 4 - 2
nd Team Recognitions, and 6 Honorable Mentions. On an even bigger stage while at Ramapo, coach Pichardo has guided a number of top athletes such as
Kaitlin Smith (‘06 Rookie of the Year),
Kayla Anders (’08 AVCA New York Region Freshman of the Year and All-American),
Michelle Ferrari (’10 NJAC Player of the Year),
LARYSA IWASKIW (’14 NJAC Rookie of Year, AVCA New York Region Freshman of the Year and All-America, Division III Metro/Upstate Women's Volleyball Rookie of the Year, ECAC All-Star 1st Team All, ’15 AVCA All-American, New York Region 1
st Team, ECAC 1
st Team All-Star, ’16 NJAC Player of the Year, AVCA All-American, ECAC Women’s Volleyball Offensive Player of the Year, ECAC 1
st Team All-Star, ’17 AVCA All-American, AVCA All-Region 1
st Team & ECAC All-ECAC Team).
Karina Almeda (’19 NJAC Defensive Player of the Year) Iwaskiw broke numerous offensive records at Ramapo. She is the single season (663 kills, 2016) and career (2,422 kills, '14-'17) record holder while she also holds the career record for kills in men and women's volleyball at Ramapo. She finished 2nd in career digs with 1,639 digs while also holding the top 20 kills in a single match, the best being 40 kills in a match during the 2015 season. And nearly breaking an NCAA post-season tournament record during the 2016 season with 37 kills (Rec. 39). Iwaskiw was also the 2017-2018 NCAA Division III Statistical Champion for kills per set and points per set. It was the third time in her career being named Statistical Champion in kills per set (6.83) and points per set (7.39). Following the 2017 season, in her career she set and broke her own single season kill record (663 kills, 2016) while setting the all-time record for kills in a career for a men or women player (2,422 kills).
In late August 2005, Coach Pichardo took over the Roadrunner’s Women’s Volleyball a program that stood at 69-123 overall in its previous seven seasons. His program has posted numerous school historic records with three #2 seeds in conference playoffs, as well as 6 ECAC Tournaments invitations. Including the 2015 ECAC Metro/Upstate Women’s Championship Title, to a perfect 8-0 Regular Season Conference Champions, also being named 2016 NJAC Coach of the Year, while holding a #1 seed in conference and earning a historic At Large Bid to the 2016 NCAA Regional Championship.
Prior to Ramapo, Pichardo coached at CCNY, where the men’s and women’s volleyball programs compiled a record of 183-110 during a six year stint. He guided the men’s team to the NECVA Championship Tournament in four consecutive years and led the team to an 83-66 overall record. He captured a CUNYAC conference title in his first year (2000), one NECVA title, and one ECAC title in 2002. The team was also ranked as high as 6th in the National AVCA Division III Coaches poll. Furthermore, while at CCNY he also guided the women’s program compiling a record of 100-44 in his six seasons also shaping the Beavers from an .500 program to 2 NCAA’s Automatic berths and CUNY Conference Titles. (’03, ’04).
In 2011, Coach Pichardo was a recipient of the AVCA “300 Victory Club” award after earning 300 or more collegiate career victories. He is also a fellow member of the same association as well as USA Volleyball. He has now compiled nearly 500 NCAA career victories Internationally, he guided a CUNYAC collegiate selection team to Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2005, and coached the 6th Region Dominican Selection Team in 3 different occasions at the Dominican National Games in ’96, ’00, and ’06. Coach Pichardo was a setter/outside hitter for the CCNY program for four years and was a two-year captain. He’s formerly the founder and president of the Dominican Volleyball Association in the U.S.A. but continues to represent the Dominican Volleyball Federation away from the continental USA.
Outside Collegiate Volleyball, Pichardo is the Founder/Executive Director of
Pinnacle Volleyball Academy Inc. A well respected and established junior travel Volleyball club. Prior to that, he was the Co-Club Director at nearby DIGS Volleyball Cub.
His collegiate debut started in 1994 as a head coach for Cooper Union College, also at DeWitt Clinton H.S. in ’97, as well as Monroe Community College in ’97 and Yeshiva University Men’s team in ‘98. Coach Pichardo is also a member of the Dominican Volleyball Federation. He holds a FIVB Level 1 International Coaching Accreditation License, High Performance Clinician, USA IMPACT and a USA Volleyball CAP Level II, currently working on his Level III.
A former Athletic Director at A. Philip Randolph Campus H.S. in New York City where he supervised 26 varsities and junior varsity programs that competes under the Public School Athletic League (PSAL) umbrella.
He is a US NAVY veteran, and holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Health & Physical Education degree from CCNY as well as an Urban and Multicultural Education Master’s Degree from the College of Mt. St. Vincent. Rob is a member of AVCA American Volleyball Coaches Association. He resides in West Nyack, NY in the County of Rockland with his wife Maria, and their daughters Ashley (Ramapo ’21) and Tamara who is currently a member of the nearby Div. 1 IONA Gaels WVB, ’24.
- Coach Rob is a recipient of the AVCA “400 Victory Club”.
- 498 NCAA Career Wins (women’s & men’s combined)
- 8x Coach of the Year
- 3x NCAA Appearances
- 6x ECAC Appearances
- 2x ECAC Titles
- FIVB Level I International Coaching Accreditation License
- USA Volleyball Coaches Accreditation Program
- CAP Level II USA Volleyball High Performance
- College Hall of Famer (CCNY inductee ’13)
2022-2023 Season
