Girls' U18 World Championship 2021

Alisha Glass in her new role, giving back to volleyball

The best setter at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and 2014 Women's World Championship is inspiring a new generation of USA volleyball players

Published 08:30, 28 Sept 2021

Alisha Glass giving instructions to setter Alexis Sutcky

Olympian Alisha Glass, a member of the USA women’s volleyball team that won the bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and a World Championship in 2014, is now part of the coaching staff of the USA national team competing at the 2021 FIVB Volleyball Girls’ U18 World Championship in Durango, Mexico.

After her lengthy career and retirement in 2017, Alisha reflects on how her new role with USA volleyball came to be. “I always told Karch Kiraly and USA Volleyball I wanted to give back in any way I could,” she says.

Glass has been involved in development programmes inspiring younger generations for some time, and what better way than doing so in the sport where she excelled.

Alisha lives near the USA national team training base and says the timing for her new appointment was just right. “USA Volleyball approached me in potentially working with some of the teams and when Jamie (U18 Head coach, Jamie Morrison) said he was involved, who I know from when he coached me, all the pieces fell into place and I am happy to be part of his staff.”

RV WU18 USAvsPUR (28)

This is the second time Glass has assisted a national team. The first time was when a senior group won the 2018 Women’s Pan American Cup in the Dominican Republic, when she was also a second assistant coach.

Before joining the USA Volleyball coaching staff she coached at a college level in the U.S. for Stanford University for two years, which she says was a great and challenging experience that helped her in that transitioning stage from the court to being part of coaching staff.

“The feeling is strange. Sometimes you want to jump out there, although I’m not sure my body would let me. But it’s a special feeling to take what I know and what the sport has given me, and hand it out to a younger generation. It’s powerful and awesome”.

Speaking about the 2021 FIVB Girls’ U18 World Championship, she says her role is to inspire the team. “I want the girls to soak up all the moments, stimulating them in enjoying all the process of competing internationally. For them, this is just the beginning, making sure they are learning as much as they can. And the thing is that they are experiencing different styles of volleyball, but also having fun.”