Coach Kim Roleder joined the women’s volleyball staff in 2012 after completing her graduate year in 2011 at Sacred Heart. Roleder competed at SHU after a four-year career at nationally ranked University of Southern California. As a player in 2011, she led Sacred Heart to the second of back-to-back NEC regular season championships and NEC Tournament Championships where she was named MVP of the conference tournament. She led Sacred Heart to their second straight NCAA Tournament appearance leading the team in kills in a 4-set loss to #11 Stanford. That remains the only time an NEC team has taken a set from a ranked opponent in the NCAA tournament.
That season, Roleder set the all-time Sacred Heart single season record in kills with 497. She was also named to the NEC All-Conference First Team and received the Sacred Heart Athletics Director Award given to the top athlete in the department for the 2011-2012 year.
After completing her stellar playing career, Kim was named assistant coach in 2012. In 2013, she was named Recruiting Coordinator and helped land one of the most successful classes in program history bringing in NEC Rookie of the Year, Sarah Krufka, and All-NEC setter Kiki Robinson. That class also included future NEC Libero of the Year Ana Gonzalez and future All-Conference players, Tori Kemper, and Allison Riggs.
In 2015, Kim contributed to the development SHU’s second NEC Player of the Year Krufka, and All-Conference outside hitter Tori Kemper.
2016 is the year Kim’s influence on the program as a coach began to really show. That season, she helped lead the program to its fourth 20-win season, the first since she last played in 2011, with a record of 22-8 and 13-1 in conference. That year, Sacred Heart earned two major awards with athletes from Roleder’s first recruiting class, Krufka and Ana Gonzalez being named NEC Player of the Year and NEC Libero of the Year, respectively.
In 2017, Kim was named Associate Head coach and immediately secured the commitment of future five-time NEC Setter of the Year, Sarah Ciszek along with future NEC All-Conference libero Emma Smallcomb. The signing of that class started what would prove to be the most successful run in the history of the program.
Securing that 2018 class paid off right away. In their rookie season, Ciszek, and Smallcomb along with junior OH Lisell Nelis helped lead the team to a 17-10 record and Sacred Heart’s fifth appearance in the NEC Championship match. Ciszek walked away with NEC Rookie of the Year and Setter of the Year honors joining Nelis on the All-NEC First Team.
In 2019, Roleder’s recruits had an unparalleled run of success winning the NEC Tournament and appearing in the NCAA Tournament against #1 ranked Baylor University. The team finished with a record of 20-12, the 5th 20-win season in program history, placing Sarah Ciszek and Lisell Nelis on the All-NEC first team and Julia Murawinski on the All-NEC second team. Ciszek was also named NEC Setter of the year and Player of the year.
In the Covid-19 shortened season of 2020-21, Roleder helped lead the team to its first undefeated regular season in program history with a conference record of 10-0 (11-3 overall.) The Pioneers placed four players on the All-NEC team led by Ciszek earning her 3rd consecutive Setter of the Year award and freshman Dominique Felix winning NEC Rookie of the Year, the second player to earn that award in the Roleder era. Joining Ciszek and Felix on the All-Conference team were Smallcomb and Graduate transfer Olivia Fairchild.
In the fall of 2021, the Pioneers stayed at the top of the conference winning the NEC Tournament and earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament to play against #2 Texas. Roleder’s stamp on the program as recruiting coordinator continued to shine as Fairchild and senior Reghan Palanchi joined four-time Setter of the Year Ciszek on the All-Conference team.
In 2022, Kim NEC sophomore transfer, Camryn Luginbuhl from Hartford University. At Hartford, Camryn was an America East All-Conference First Team player and continued her success at SHU helping lead the Pioneers to its fourth NEC regular season championship and sixth 20-win season. Luginbuhl joined Palanchi and Smallcomb on the All-NEC Team. Ciszek won her fifth NEC Setter of Year and second Player of the Year award.
In 2023, the pioneers won their fifth NEC regular season championship behind the play of NEC Rookie of the Year, and Setter of the Year Gaby Zovko. These were the third Rookie of the Year and sixth Setter of the Year awards in the Roleder era.
SHU embarked on its first season in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) in 2024, going 11-7 to claim the fifth seed in their first MAAC Championship. Roleder also helped senior outside hitter Camryn Luginbuhl post one of the best campaigns in program history. Luginbuhl broke Roleder's single-season program record for kills with 515 to go along with numerous single-match records.
Roleder’s success as a coach is only matched by her achievements as a player. At Pasadena high school, in Pasadena, California, Kim was a four-year starter on the Varsity team. She was named Pasadena High Most Valuable Player, and Offensive Player of the Year in each of her final three seasons on the team. In 2006, she led Pasadena High school to its only State Championship in school history while being named California Interscholastic Federation Player of the Year.
Kim competed in the United States Volleyball Association Junior Club circuit playing for Point West VBC in Simi-Valley California. In 2006, she led Point West to a Gold Medal in the first ever AAU championships held in Minneapolis and earning tournament MVP. In 2007, she led Point West VBC to a Gold Medal at the USAV National Championships also held in Minneapolis where she was once again named tournament MVP.
Kim was recruited to play in the USAV Junior volleyball pipeline and was ranked as the #3 recruit in the nation coming out of high school. She was chosen to compete on the USA A1 program as one of the top high school players in the nation. Her team competed in the USA Adult nationals in Atlanta Georgia where she won her third gold medal. Kim also competed on the US Junior National Team in 2007 that finished fourth in the FIVB U20 World Championships in Suphanburi, Thailand. Kim was named the 5th best attacker in the tournament recording 60 kills with a .389 hitting percentage.
Kim began her stellar collegiate career at #5 nationally ranked University of Southern California. She played in 26 matches and started in 10 in her rookie season. Roleder averaged 3.26 kills and .56 blocks per set helping the Trojans reach the NCAA Final 4 her freshman year. In her first Pac -10 match, Kim had 18 kills against Arizona St. and hit .469.
In 2008, Kim played in every match as a sophomore for #10 USC recording 239 kills, 25 aces, 183 digs and 65 blocks. That season, Roleder recorded 15 kills against UCLA hitting .459. Against Oregon State, she had a season high 16 kills hitting .306 for the match,
In 2009, Roleder started all 30 matches for #8 USC and was third on the team in kills with 281. That season she also posted 29 assists, 25 aces, 211 digs, and 65 blocks. That season, she tied her personal best with 18 kills, including 6 in the fifth set, against #10 Cal. She was named to the LA Center Trojan Center all-tournament team posting 33 kills and 19 digs for the tournament. She also took home all-tournament honors for her 28 kill, 6 assists, 6 aces, 19 digs and 8 block performance in the MSU Showcase.
In 2010, a knee injury kept Roleder from playing her senior season, but she was named team captain and USC competed in its 2nd Final Four in her career at USC.
In 2011, Kim transferred to Sacred Heart where she led the team to its highest RPI ranking in program history at #71 and a record of 27-8. She helped lead SHU to a regular season and tournament championship to cap off her playing career.
Coach Roleder Graduated from USC with a BA and in Communications and graduated from Sacred Heart with a MA in Communications. After Coach Roleder’s second season as the Pioneers' Assistant Coach she took ownership of Nova Volleyball Club located in Trumbull Connecticut. She is coming up on 11 years as Nova’s Owner and Director. Coach Roleder is also the Alternate Director for the Sacred Heart Nike Camp that has now become the largest Nike Volleyball Camp in the country.
Coach Roleder was born and raised in Pasadena, California. She has three sisters who also played volleyball at the DIV II and NAIA levels (Amanda, Rachel, and Lydia). Her parents, Dan and Carol, still reside in her hometown of Pasadena, California. Coach Roleder’s family has extended out on the east coast with her two nephews, Kevin and Cooper, her niece Rose, and three dogs, Zeus, BoBear and Peaches.
