ANDERSON, S.C. -- After helping lead the Anderson University women's lacrosse program to their first South Atlantic Conference regular season title as an assistant last year, the Anderson University Athletics Department and Vice President for Athletics Dr. Bert Epting have announced that Nicole Voci will take over the reins of the women's lacrosse program and assume the role of Head Coach, effective immediately.
"We are so excited to name Coach Voci as only our second head coach in program history!" commented Epting. "We have an unbelievably strong foundation set for her to come in and excel in leading these young ladies. She absolutely rose to the top during the search process with her balance of faith and sport, and I know she will do a great job in leading our program both on and off the field! I am looking forward to the upcoming season and how we continue to build a program that is different than any other in the nation. Congratulations Coach Voci! The Trojan Family is blessed to have you! Go Trojans!"
During her year as an assistant with the Trojans, she helped lead the team to the conference championships in just the second year of existence, while also mentoring the SAC Attacker and Freshman of the year. In addition, she was instrumental in the development in the program's first ever All-American, Alicia Cannon. During the season the Trojans also cracked into the top-25 rankings for the first time, climbing as high as No. 23 before wrapping up the season ranked No. 25.
"I am thrilled to be named the next head coach of the Anderson University Women's Lacrosse team," said Voci. "Anderson is truly a special place and I feel so blessed that the Lord guided me here. I would like to thank Dr. Epting and the rest of the AU Trojan Family for believing in me and supporting me in this transition from assistant coach to head coach."
Voci joined the Trojans after a year as an assistant coach at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in Rochester, NY. During her time at RIT, Voci had an integral role in developing the team's offensive strategy, practice plans, and player development, both on and off the field. She was also heavily involved in all aspects of RIT's student-athlete recruitment process.
She played collegiately at Division I Mount St. Mary's University appearing in eleven games as a freshman while registering seven goals and two assists with a 77% shooting percentage. She made her collegiate debut vs. UMBC, scored her first goal against Army, and recorded multi-goal games against Presbyterian and CCSU.
Upon revising her academic pursuits, Voci went on to attend and play at SUNY Geneseo, a top-25 Division III program and nationally recognized school of education in NY. She was a two-year captain, appearing in 38 games over a shortened Covid career, Voci tallied 43 goals and 51 assists. She ranks in all-time career assists at SUNY Geneseo.
As a three-sport high school athlete, Voci was a four-year letter earner at Webster Thomas High School (NY). She ranks second in Webster Thomas record books in 3 categories: total points (297); total goals (160); and total assists (137). She also broke the single-season assist record with 54. Voci earned first-team all-county accolades for 3 straight seasons and was named to the All Greater Rochester Top-12 female lacrosse players as a senior.
"I look forward to continuing to elevate the success of this program in the coming years," concluded Voci. "The University's commitment to faith, high academic standards, and its stunning campus and athletic facilities make it different, and I look forward to continuing to be different."