Tuesday, March 1, 2022
by Seattle Pacific Athletic Communications

SEATTLE – Abbie Wright, who steadily built the Seattle Pacific volleyball program into one that beat four NCAA Tournament-caliber opponents last fall, has announced her resignation as head coach of the Falcons.
 
Wright is accepting a job as the associate head coach at Fresno State University.
 
"I'm just grateful for this opportunity and grateful to my athletes for being gracious with me and allowing me to grow alongside them and coach them and give input into their lives," Wright said. "I count that as a huge blessing."

Wright joined the Falcons in February 2017. Through five seasons, she built a 65-61 overall record, 40-38 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. The Falcons went 15-10 overall and 11-7 in the GNAC last fall, both of which were program highs during her time here.

"I feel like I've learned so much from my athletes," Wright said. "There's a lot I had to learn as a head coach and what it takes to run a program. … What I've learned is you can train at a high level and run things at a high level, and you can also do it with great people and you can treat people well."
 
Among Seattle Pacific's victories last fall was a three-set sweep of then-No. 13-ranked St. Cloud State of Minnesota on the final night of the SPU-CWU Invitational Tournament in Brougham Pavilion. That was the first triumph against a national top-25 team since 2013.
 
SPU swept its two-match season series against Central Washington and split two matches against Alaska Anchorage and Simon Fraser. (UAA was ranked No. 24 on the night the Falcons swept them in three sets inside Brougham.)
 
St. Cloud State, Central, Anchorage, and Simon all wound up in the NCAAs.
 
"We really started to rack up some milestones," Wright said. "You have that to look back on and build on.. We were yearning that for our success. This season, we started to build consistency. It's at a great spot, and that's why it's tough to leave."
 
Athletic director Jackson Stava was appreciative of Wright's accomplishments in all aspects of the program.

"Since her arrival, Abbie has worked tirelessly not only to raise our competitive level on the court, but by being a relentless force for good in the lives of her student-athletes," Stava said. "Abbie is leaving the SPU volleyball program in great shape, and the next coach will be stepping into an amazing opportunity to be successful both on and off the court."

Along with their accomplishments in the gym, the Falcons have been highly successful in the classroom. Last fall, the team placed a program-record 14 players on the GNAC All-Academic team. The previous high was eight players, which happened three times – twice during Wright's tenure.
 
"I am convinced this program will be successful moving forward due to the work of Abbie and so many others, but specifically due to the caliber of young women who make up our team," Stava said

Prior to her arrival at SPU, Wright was an assistant coach for four seasons at Biola University, where she also played collegiately as a setter. In 2015, she was named the NAIA Southwest Region and national Assistant Coach of the Year.

After the 2016 season, Wright was named to the "30 Under 30" list by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, an honor that recognizes top coaches who are age 30 or younger.
 
Fresno State is an NCAA Division I program and a member of the Mountain West Conference.
 
"I'm just really excited to work with (head coach) Jonathan Winder and (assistant coach) Hardy Wooldridge and the support staff I've met," Wright said. "The values they have with their program really align with the values that I have with mine. They value the total athlete and want to provide a great experience and treat people right and train them at a high level. I'm excited to go and grow and learn under them."