A veteran recruiter at the Division-I level is set to join the Arkansas State volleyball staff for the 2022 season, as first-year head coach Brian Gerwig announced the hiring of Alicia Roth as associate head coach and recruiting coordinator on April 13, 2022.
Roth joined A-State after two seasons (2020-21) as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Mercer in Macon, Ga. The Bears recorded a 16-12 mark overall in 2021, going 12-4 in Southern Conference play en route to earning the SOCON regular-season crown.
“I am so excited to welcome Alicia Roth to the Arkansas State family!,” Gerwig said. “Alicia is a great coach and an amazing human being. I admire her ability to build meaningful relationships with players and recruits. She is a proven recruiter, a trainer and a well-respected coach in the volleyball world. I am honored that Alicia trusts my vision for Arkansas State volleyball and I am confident that she will have an immediate positive impact on everyone in and around the program.”
In 2021, Mercer finished the season second in the SOCON in opposing hitting percentage, allowing foes to hit just .168 against them, which ranking 31st nationally. Roth helped tutor the Bears’ Megan Smith to league Libero of the Year laurels and second-team all-conference honors.
"I want to thank Brian for offering me an opportunity I just couldn't pass up,” Roth said. “I am beyond excited to be joining the Red Wolf family. Brian and I have been friends for a long time and I feel blessed to get to work with someone who shares the same vision. I appreciate his passion, energy and excitement for building this program. I look forward to getting after it in the gym, building relationships and pursuing a Sun Belt championship!”
Prior to her stint at Mercer, Roth served as the head volleyball coach at Johnson and Wales University in Denver, Colo., for three seasons (2017-19), leading the team to the 2019 SCAC Team Sportsmanship Award. In her three years at JWU, she also served as the Senior Woman Administrator, oversaw the student-athlete advisory committee (SAAC) and was an Athletic Coaching and Administration professor.
Before her time in Denver, Roth spent two seasons in Natchitoches, La., as the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at Northwestern State.
Roth’s coaching career began at Campbell, where she served as a graduate assistant working with the Fighting Camels’ defensive players and overseeing summer camps.
The Lake Orion, Mich., native was a defensive specialist at Samford for four years and helped lead the Bulldogs to the 2011 Southern Conference title and an NCAA Tournament appearance.
