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Kuuipo Tom 2019 HS

Kuuipo Tom

Biography Banner

Kuuipo Tom took over as head coach of the Susquehanna University Volleyball team in 2003. Since that first season in 2003, only three teams have finished with season records below .500 and the 2019 team had a record-breaking season with 32 victories and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. The River Hawks have had 13 20-win seasons under Tom including a current streak of eight straight. The winningest head coach in program history with over 400 victories, Tom earned his 400th win in the 2021 season and his career record stands at 414-240 as of the end of the 2021 season. In the 10-year history of the Landmark Conference, Tom has led the team to the championship match of the conference tournament 10 times.At Susquehanna Banner
  • Boasts a 414-240 record in 18 seasons at Susquehanna
  • 78-34 conference mark, including MAC Commonwealth and Landmark Conference
  • All-time leader in Landmark Conference wins with 64
  • 3 NCAA Tournament Appearances
  • 3-3 NCAA Tournament record
  • 3 Landmark Conference Coaching Staff of the Year awards
  • 12 AVCA All-Americans
  • 12 AVCA Team Academic Award (Current streak: 9)
  • 13 20-win seasons
  • 10 Landmark Conference Tournament final appearances
  • 23 Landmark Conference First Team honorees
  • Top 50 in NCAA Division III in wins and winning percentage
  • 14 winning seasons
  • 2022 NCAA Tournament Round of 16 berth is farthest in program history
Program Milestone
  • Guided team to first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2016
  • Won program's first NCAA Tournament match in 2019 with win over Westminster (Pa.)
  • Ranked in AVCA Division III Top 25 for the first time in 2019
  • Achieved highest ranking in program history of No. 16 in 2019 AVCA Final Poll
  • Ranked No. 22 in AVCA Final Poll in 2022
  • Every individual record holder in program history played for Tom
  • Landmark Conference Records:
    • Team
      • Match - Attack Pct. (.543, 9/27/2013)
      • Season - Blocks (372.5, 2012)
      • Season - Digs (2761, 2009)
    • Individual
      • Season - Blocks (176, Kaylee Monga, 2012)
      • Season - Digs (912, Kelly O'Brien, 2009)
      • Career - Blocks (444, Kayle Monga)
      • Career - Digs (2553, Sarah Paluck)
      • Career - Assists (4050, Maggie O'Hearn)
Honors & Awards Banner
  • AVCA All-Americans (12): 2004: Kerri Eshleman (HM, MH); 2012: Emily Carson (HM, OH); 2015: Erin Byrne (HM, OH); 2016: Erin Byrne (HM, OH); 2017: Morgan Lowe (HM, OH); 2018: Hannah Lyons (HM, MH); 2019: Sydney Portale (1st Team, OH), Rosina Esposito (HM, OH), Lindsey Pugh (HM, S), Lizzie Herestofa (HM, L); 2021: Rosina Esposito (HM, OH), Lizzie Herestofa (HM, L)
  • AVCA All-Region (14): 2012: Emily Carson (1st Team, OH); 2015: Erin Byrne (1st Team, OH), Sarah Paluck (HM, L); 2016: Erin Byrne (1st Team, OH), Morgan Lowe (HM, OH); 2017: Morgan Lowe (1st Team, OH); 2018: Hannah Lyons (MH), Lizzie Herestofa (L); 2019: Sydney Portale (OH), Rosina Esposito (OH), Lindsey Pugh (S), Lizzie Herestofa (L); 2021: Rosina Esposito (OH), Lizzie Herestofa (L)
  • Landmark Conference Coaching Staff of the Year (3): 2008, 2011, 2019
  • Landmark Conference Player of the Year (2): 2010: Lindsey Jankiewicz; 2019: Sydney Portale 
  • Landmark Conference Specialist of the Year (4): 2013: Sarah Paluck; 2015: Sarah Paluck; 2019: Lizzie Herestofa; 2021: Lizzie Herestofa
  • Landmark Conference Rookie of the Year (2): 2013: Erin Byrne; 2019: Rosina Esposito 
  • Landmark Conference First Team (23): 2008: Lindsey Jankiewicz (OH); 2009: Lindsey Jankiewicz (OH); 2010: Lindsey Jankiewicz (OH), Kaylee Monga (MH); 2011: Emily Carson (OH); 2012: Emily Carson (OH), Kaylee Monga (MH); 2013: Erin Byrne (OH), Hayley Dunkel (MH), Sarah Paluck (L); 2014: Erin Byrne (OH), Sarah Paluck (L); 2015: Erin Byrne (OH), Sarah Paluck (L); 2016: Erin Byrne (OH), Morgan Lowe (OH); 2017: Morgan Lowe (OH); 2019: Rosina Esposito (OH), Sydney Portale (OH), Lizzie Herestofa (L); 2021: Rosina Esposito (OH), Paige Sfiroudis (MH), Lizzie Herestofa (DS)
  • Landmark Conference Second Team (27): 2007: Ainsley Catagnus (MH); 2009: Emily Carson (OH), Jess Cicioni (MH), Kelly O'Brien (DS), Shona St. Angelo (S); 2010: Marie Clair Llareus (OH), Emily Carson (MH), Stona St. Angelo (S); 2011: Kaylee Monga (MH); 2013: Maggie O'Hearn; 2014: Morgan Whiteman (OH), Hayley Dunkel (MH), Maggie O'Hearn (S); 2015: Marykate Sherkness (OH), Morgan Whiteman (OH), Maggie O'Hearn (S); 2016: Leana Carvin (MH), Maggie O'Hearn (S), Caroline Beohm (DS); 2017: Hannah Lyons (MH), Sydney Portale (OH); 2018: Hannah Lyons (MH); 2019: Sydney Portale (OH), Hannah Lyons (MH), Lindsey Pugh (S); 2019: Kody Dillon (MH), Lindsey Pugh (S); 2021: Kody Dillon (MH), 
  • Landmark Conference Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year (2): 2019: Sydney Portale; 2021: Lizzie Herestofa
  • MAC Commonwealth First Team (2): 2003: Kerri Eshleman (MH); 2004: Kerri Eshleman (MH); 
  • MAC Commonwealth Second Team (4): 2005: Missy Kadingo (MH), Ainsley Catagnus (OH); 2006: Missy Kadingo (MH), Ainsley Catagnus (OH)
  • CoSIDA Academic All-American (2): 2017: Morgan Lowe (3rd Team, OH); 2020: Sydney Portale (1st Team, OH)
  • CoSIDA Academic All-District (5): 2014: Hayley Dunkel (1st Team, MH); 2019: Kasey Bost (1st Team, MH); 2020: Lizzie Herestofa (1st Team, L), Sydney Portale (1st Team, OH); 2021: Lizzie Herestofa (1st Team, OH)
  • AVCA Team Academic Award (12): 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022

Career Record Banner
 
YEAR SCHOOL OVERALL RECORD CONFERENCE RECORD POSTSEASON
2003 Susquehanna 15-13 4-3 MAC Commonwealth Semifinals (No. 4 seed)
2004 Susquehanna 21-11 5-2 MAC Commonwealth Finalists (No. 3 seed)
2005 Susquehanna 20-16 2-5
2006 Susquehanna 18-21 3-4
2007 Susquehanna 11-26 1-5
2008 Susquehanna 27-13 4-2 Landmark Finalists (No. 3 seed)
2009 Susquehanna 25-12 5-1 Landmark Finalists (No. 2 seed)
2010 Susquehanna 25-12 5-1 Landmark Finalists (No. 2 seed)
2011 Susquehanna 19-19 5-1 Landmark Finalists (No. 2 seed)
2012 Susquehanna 17-22 3-3 Landmark Tournament (No. 4 seed)
2013 Susquehanna 29-9 4-1 Landmark Finalists (No. 2 seed)
2014 Susquehanna 30-9 6-1 Landmark Finalists (No. 2 seed)
2015 Susquehanna 26-10 6-1 Landmark Finalists (No. 2 seed)
2016 Susquehanna 31-8 5-1 Landmark Finalists (No. 2 seed)
NCAA Tournament First Round
2017 Susquehanna 21-12 5-1 Landmark Finalists (No. 2 seed)
2018 Susquehanna 24-13 5-1 Landmark Finalists (No. 2 seed)
2019 Susquehanna 32-7 6-0 Landmark Finalists (No. 1 seed)
NCAA Tournament Second Round
2020 Susquehanna 0-0 0-0 Season Canceled Due to CoVID-19 
2021 Susquehanna 24-7 4-1 Landmark Tournament (No. 4 seed)
NCAA Tournament Sweet 16
2022 Susquehanna 15-15 4-3 Landmark Tournament (No. 4 seed)
TOTALS SUSQUEHANNA 430-255 82-37 3 NCAA TOURNAMENT BIDS

Personal Banner
  • Native of Hawaii
  • Graduated from Pennsylvania State Police Academy in 1982
  • Retired in 2007 after a 25-year law enforcement career as a sergeant and station commander for PA State Police
  • Lives in Montoursville, PA with his wife, Dr. Lou Ann Tom (SU Professor of Chemistry)
  • Leads annual Global Opportunities (GO) trips to Hawaii
  • Teaches Hawaiian History and Culture Studies at SU
  • Longtime player and coach for USA Volleyball
  • Founder of Danville Area Community Center Leagues, where he served as director from 1989-1998
  • Has four children and two grandchildren
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