Women's Volleyball | 4/22/2025 2:21:00 PM

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. - On Tuesday afternoon the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced their Thirty Under 30 award recipients for the 2025 class. Steven Soriano, Associate Head Coach for the women's volleyball team, was among those honored. 

Soriano joined the Buccaneer volleyball program in 2022 as a volunteer assistant, following Director of Volleyball Leonid Yelin, from Syracuse where the two first started to work together. The coaching journey began in 2018 at Syracuse University where he served as the student manager. In just one year he was named the head student manager and held that position for the next three seasons. In the summer of 2021, the coaching journey went international for the first time as he became a camp assistant for his native island, Puerto Rico. Soriano worked with the U23 team a their summer training camp. Joining Barry as an assistant for indoor and beach women's volleyball, in just his second year was elevated to associate head coach. 

In addition to his time in the collegiate and international world, Soriano also spends time as a club coach for the Miami Wavee Volleyball Club. He is a coach and a back office manager for the organization. 

Since his arrival in 2022, the Buccaneers have made the NCAA Tournament twice (2022, 2024), making it to the NCAA DII Elite Eight in 2022. He has assisted in coaching three-time All-American, national player of the year, and program kills leader: Diana Akopova. In addition, the accolades include six All-SSC team members, two-time SSC Player of the Year, the Freshman of the Year, four AVCA All-Region members and four AVCA All-Americans.

Questions for Coach Soriano:

What made you decide to get into coaching volleyball?

Drawing from my time as a student manager at Syracuse, I witnessed firsthand how coaches empowered and challenged student-athletes to reach their full potential. This experience solidified my aspiration to dedicate my career to helping athletes become the best versions of themselves.

What are your career goals in the sport?

My career goal is to lead my own volleyball program as head coach and/or establish or lead a thriving volleyball club. I am passionate about fostering athletic development and building a strong team culture. I aspire to create an environment where athletes can excel and grow, both on and off the court.

Which coaches have influence you the most?

I am deeply indebted to Leonid Yelin, Head Volleyball Coach at Barry University, who has shaped my entire career. Former Syracuse Assistants Andrea Beaty (Head Coach at Saint Louis University) and Derryk Williams (Head Coach at William Smith College) exemplified exceptional work ethic for me to mirror. Marco Paglialunga(Former Italian National Team Coach) and Mia Causevic(Former Serie A Professional Athlete), Club Directors and Owners of Miami Wave Volleyball, have also been influential figures in my development within the sport.

What do you enjoy most about your coaching job?

The most rewarding aspect of coaching is witnessing our team execute our strategies flawlessly at peak performance. Equally fulfilling is observing the tangible growth of our athletes, both in their skills on the court and their development as individuals off the court. These moments of collective achievement and personal progress are what drive my passion.