Abbey Sutherland

Title

Head Coach
Email

sutherla@uwgb.edu

The Sutherland File
Birthday: June 28, 1982
Hometown: West Bend, Wis.
Alma Mater (Year): St. Norbert College (2004) | Southern Mississippi (2006)
Degree: Spanish and secondary education (undergrad) | Teaching languages with a Spanish emphasis (graduate)

Coaching Experience:
2018-present: Head coach, Green Bay
2013-2017: Head coach, UW-Stevens Point
2010-2012: Head coach, Southern Miss
2001-2009: Assistant coach, Southern Miss

Honors and awards:
2018 Horizon League Coach of the Year
Two-time MWC Player of the Year at St. Norbert
Three-time First-Team All-Midwest Conference selection at St. Norbert
Two-time Conference Player of the Year at St. Norbert
Two-time Honorable Mention All-Region honors
Voted most valuable player as a junior and senior at St. Norbert
Received academic all-conference honors

Championships:
2018 Horizon League regular season and tournament champion
Two-time WIAC regular season and tournament champion with UWSP

Worth noting:
Sutherland is a graduate of the 2019 NCAA Women Coaches Academy Class #48 that was held in Denver. The NCAA Women Coaches Academy, hosted in partnership between WeCOACH and the NCAA, is a 4-day educational training available to NCAA coaches of all experience levels and is designed for women coaches who are ready to increase their individual effectiveness by learning advanced skills and strategies that directly affect their personal and team success.
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Abbey Sutherland will embark on her sixth season as head coach at Green Bay after being hired as the sixth head coach in program history prior to the 2018 season.

Sutherland had an immediate impact during her first season, coaching the Phoenix to an impressive 20-11 record (13-3 HL) in the regular season while guiding the Phoenix into the program's second-ever NCAA First Round appearance. Under her direction, Taylor Wolf was named Horizon League Player of the Year, Maddie Yoss was named Setter of the Year, and Vanessa Buman was named Defensive Player of the Year. Alexandra Zakutney was also named to the All-Freshman Team, while Yoss and Austyn Everingham landed on the All-Academic Team.

In her second season (2019), Sutherland led the Phoenix to an overall record of 21-9. In non-conference play, the team defeated Ohio State at the Champyinz Invitational, which was the program's first victory over a power-five school since 2015. Green Bay finished third overall in the Horizon League at 12-4. Not only did the team earn a spot as an AVCA Top 50 team for the first time in program history, but the Phoenix ranked 45th overall in the NCAA's RPI, the highest mark to end a season for any team in the program's history as well. Taylor Wolf was also named back-to-back Horizon League Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year. In addition, Maddie Yoss was named back-to-back Horizon League Setter of the Year and Brenna Hesse earned All-Freshman Team honors. Emily Lautenschalger, Taylor Wolf, and Maddie Yoss were featured on the conference's All-Academic Team also for Green Bay.

Sutherland came to the Phoenix after spending the previous five seasons at nearby UW-Stevens Point, where she led the Pointers to a 146-36 record during her successful tenure. Under Sutherland's leadership, UWSP appeared in consecutive NCAA Final Fours. In what was considered to be a rebuilding year in 2017, Sutherland led the Pointers to 24 wins with a very young team. In 2016, UWSP amassed 27 wins behind four experienced seniors and Sutherland's guidance. Her 2015 team qualified for the NCAA Tournament, winning its first game before falling in the Second Round, finishing 27-9 in that season. In 2014, UW-Stevens Point was 33-5 overall, including a 21-match winning streak prior to falling to Emory in four sets in the national semifinals. The Pointers won the St. Paul Regional with sweeps of St. Benedict and Coe before edging Cornell (Iowa) 15-11 in the fifth set to claim the regional championship for the second-straight season. At the NCAA Division III Championship in Newport News, Va., the Pointers claimed a thrilling five-set win over Claremont-Mudd-Scripps by a 16-14 score in the decisive fifth set.

In Sutherland's first season of 2013, UWSP went on the deepest NCAA Tournament run in program history, making it all the way to the national semifinals. UWSP defeated three straight teams ranked in the top six, before falling to Cal Lutheran. The Pointers compiled an overall record of 35-5, and the 35 wins were the most by a UWSP team since 1985. The team won 24 straight matches prior to the loss to Cal Lutheran. Sutherland coached two-time WIAC Player of the Year Alexis Hartman, who was UW-Stevens Point's first-ever conference player of the year and four-time All-WIAC pick. Sutherland has also coached over 10 All-WIAC players and helped sophomore April Gehl earn AVCA Honorable Mention honors.

Prior to coming to UWSP, Sutherland spent three seasons as head coach at the University of Southern Mississippi. She compiled a 44-47 record after taking over the program in 2010. She had spent six seasons as an assistant coach with the program and four as the team's top assistant. In 2010, Sutherland guided Southern Miss to a 19-12 record and a fourth-place finish in Conference USA. Sutherland is one of only two first-year head coaches to record a winning season at Southern Miss. Sutherland's 2011 Golden Eagles had three student-athletes earn All-Conference USA honors including a First Team selection and a First Team All-Region performer. The 2012 squad continued its academic excellence and earned its third consecutive team academic award from the AVCA.

She enjoyed a standout playing career at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin, where she racked up 4,554 assists, 1,503 digs, and 128 aces. She helped SNC finish first in the Midwest Conference in 2002 and advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Abbey resides with her husband Ryan and their two Corgis, Lala and Herman.

Abbey Sutherland All-Time Head Coaching Record

Year	School	Record	Postseason / Conference
2010	Southern Mississippi	19-12
2011	Southern Mississippi	17-15
2012	Southern Mississippi	8-20
3 seasons		44-47 (.483)
2013	Stevens Point	35-5	WIAC Regular Season Champions WIAC Tournament Champions NCAA Final Four
2014	Stevens Point	33-5	WIAC Regular Season Champions WIAC Tournament Champions NCAA Final Four
2015	Stevens Point	27-9	WIAC Championship Match NCAA Second Round
2016	Stevens Point	27-7	WIAC Semifinals
2017	Stevens Point	24-10	WIAC Championship Match
5 seasons		146-36 (.802)
2018	Green Bay	20-11 (13-3 HL)	HL Regular Season Champions HL Tournament Champions NCAA First Round
2019	Green Bay	21-9 (12-4 HL)	HL Semifinals
2020	Green Bay	4-12 (4-12 HL)
2021	Green Bay	15-16 (10-8 HL)	HL Quarterfinals
2022	Green Bay	23-11 (13-5 HL)	HL Semifinals
2023	Green Bay	16-16 (13-5 HL)	HL Finals Appearance
6 seasons		99-75 (.568), 65-37 HL (.637)

Overall Record (14 seasons): 289-158 (.646)

Southern Mississippi: 225-97 (3 seasons - 2010-12
Stevens Point: 146-36 (5 seasons - 2013-17)
Green Bay: 99-75 (6 seasons - 2018-23)