Baltimore, Md. (Aug. 24, 2016)-Morgan State head volleyball coach Ramona Riley-Bozier has announced the hiring of assistant coach Gabrielle Otero to her coaching staff.
 
A native of San Antonio, Texas, Otero comes to Morgan State after spending the 2015-16 season as an assistant volleyball coach at the University of New Orleans.
 
"I am looking forward to having Gabrielle "Gabby" Otero serve as the new assistant coach," said Morgan State head coach Ramona Riley-Bozier. "Gabby was one of the best Libero's in the conference during her time while competing for my former athlete and assistant coach, Ashley Preston. She brings four years of Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) experience and will be able to share with such a young and inexperienced team." 
 
Added Riley-Bozier, "Gabby will be responsible for all aspects of recruiting and assist with monitoring player's academic success, especially since she maintained high academic success while at Coppin State." She will also be responsible for assisting with the development of the offense and defense." 
 
"I was definitely excited to get the opportunity to come coach at Morgan. Coming from Coppin I wasn't sure how people would react because of the rivalry, but everyone has been really helpful and nice," said Otero.
 
"I remember the Coppin-Morgan matches were always really competitive and there was always so much energy. I think that really speaks on the type of program Coach Bozier runs here and I'm really excited to learn from her," said Otero, as she reflected on her days as a player in the rivalry. "It was always competitive and it was always fun. We knew we [Coppin] had to work hard because we weren't going to be given anything.
 
"As for being on the other side, I'm just looking forward to the energy of the crowd and being a part of that rivalry again," added Otero. "Even on the other side, I think it's going to be a really fun experience."
 
No stranger to Morgan State or the MEAC, Otero was a four-year starter for Coppin State. As a junior in 2013, Otero helped to lead the Eagles to the program's first winning season, as well as its first MEAC finals appearance, falling to Hampton in a five-set heartbreaker.
 
Under the guidance of former Lady Bear, Preston (2004-07), Otero would finish the historic 2013 season setting the single-season record for digs with 465 (4.43 digs per set) and was named to the All-MEAC first team. She would then set a new single-season record with 471 digs during her senior season, while leading the MEAC in digs per set (4.21). Otero would earn second-team All-MEAC honors in 2014 and helped Coppin State to its second straight winning season and a second consecutive MEAC semifinal appearance that season.
 
Otero concluded her career as Coppin State's all-time leader in digs with 1,680. She owns three of the top four single-season digs total in school history and set the school record for digs in a match with 32. She finished with 39 double-figure digs matches in her career and was twice named the team's most valuable player in 2011 and 2012.

During her collegiate tenure, Otero has worked with different youth camps and players from ranges of 3rd through 12th grade. Otero also coached students at St. John Paul II Catholic High School in the summer of 2013 and '14 and worked in the same capacity at the Superior Sports Center in 2012.

Otero graduated Magna Cum Laude from Coppin State in 2015 with a degree in Early Childhood Education, while maintaining a 3.68 GPA. She was a four-year MEAC All-Academic selection and was on the Dean's List seven out of eight semesters.
 
"I think that for a lot of people, college helps them figure out who they want to be and Baltimore definitely did that for me," said Otero on the opportunity to return to Baltimore and coach. "I grew up a lot in Baltimore from being on a team that barely won any games my freshman year to making it to the conference championship. I hope to help players the way my coaches helped me."
 
The Lady Bears begin the 2016 campaign on Friday, Aug. 26, when they travel to Philadelphia, Pa. to face host La Salle in the La Salle Invitational. First serve is slated for noon at Tom Gola Arena. Morgan State will conclude the opening day with a 5 p.m. match against New Jersey Institute of Technology. On Saturday, the Lady Bears will square off against Saint Francis-Pa. at 10 a.m., before closing out the tournament against Quinnipiac at 5 p.m.