Syracuse, N.Y. – Le Moyne College Assistant Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics and Campus Recreation Phil Brown has announced the hiring of Fiona Cunningham as the head coach of the volleyball program.

Cunningham comes to The Heights after one season as an assistant coach at East Carolina University (Greenville, N.C.) of the American Athletic Conference. She contributed to strategic planning, practice management and game-day operations, while also leading the middle hitters, who hit .350 on the season and recorded 88 blocks. The Pirates posted a 19-10 record, including a mark of 11-5 in AAC action to earn the third seed and a berth in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship. The Pirates had one AAC First Team selection, one second team honoree and one all-freshman team selection.

"I am thrilled to welcome Fiona as the new head coach of the Dolphin volleyball program," said Brown. "Coach Cunningham brings DI experience and a passion for developing student-athletes. Her values align perfectly with our department's Inside the L philosophy. I am confident she will make an immediate and lasting impact on our team and campus community."

"I'd also like to thank the search committee and our volleyball alumni who helped identify Fiona as a top candidate for this role," Brown added.

"I am grateful and excited for the opportunity to lead the Le Moyne College volleyball team," said Cunningham. "I cannot wait to get to Syracuse to continue building on the incredible culture at Le Moyne. I want to thank Athletic Director Phil Brown and the search committee for entrusting me with this role. I can't wait to get started!"

She served as an assistant coach at North Carolina Central University (Durham, N.C.) of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference from Summer 2023 to August 2024. She managed all aspects of team logistics, including travel, CARA logs, budget and compliance records, while also coordinating with the head coach on team performance, recruitment and daily operations. The Eagles earned the sixth seed in the conference tournament and had a pair of all-MEAC Second Team honorees.
 
In addition to her time at NCCU, Cunningham served as the head volleyball coach at Cedar Ridge High School, starting in in 2019 and was named the NCHSAA 2021-22 NFHS (National Federation of State High School Association) State Coach of the Year after leading the Red Wolves to a 3A state volleyball championship title during history-making 31-win campaign. Cunningham won a pair of conference championships at Cedar Ridge, while also collecting Central Carolina Conference Coach of the Year honors on two occasions.

Following her playing career at UNC Asheville, she served as a student assistant with the Bulldogs. She went on to serve as head coach at the Triangle Volleyball Club and East Coast Volleyball Academy and Union Middle School, while also serving as a volunteer assistant at Chapel Hill High School, her alma mater.

Cunningham graduated from UNC Asheville with a Bachelor of Science degree in health and wellness promotion in 2017.