Wirkkala Appointed as Fitchburg State Women's Volleyball Head Coach

Fitchburg State University Director of Athletics Sue Lauder today announced the appointment of Victor Wirkkala of Lancaster as the school's women's volleyball head coach.

July 18, 2016

Courtesy of Fitchburg State Sports Information

FITCHBURG, Mass. – Fitchburg State University Director of Athletics Sue Lauder today announced the appointment of Victor Wirkkala of Lancaster as the school's women's volleyball head coach. "Vic has a passion for the game that is immediately evident. This enthusiasm, along with his knowledge and prior coaching experience, convinced us that he was the right person to lead our women's volleyball program," Lauder said.

Wirkkala most recently served as head women's volleyball coach at Hudson (Mass.) High School. Prior to that, he led the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) men's volleyball club team for two years, qualifying for the playoffs both seasons and finishing fourth overall in New England in 2015.

For four seasons (2008-2012), Wirkkala led the women's volleyball team at Ayer (Mass.) High School to great success, including an undefeated season in 2010. He also served as men's varsity head coach at Leominster (Mass.) High School between 2005 and 2009.

Wirkkala is a veteran of the United States Army Reserve (1985-1993). He graduated from Westfield State University in 1991 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice, and was an all-star setter and two-year team captain on the Owls' men's volleyball team. After a 20-year career as a corrections officer, Wirkkala retired from the Massachusetts Department of Corrections in 2011.

"I am incredibly excited to be coaching volleyball at Fitchburg State University," said Wirkkala. "Fitchburg State is giving me a chance to fulfill my long-time ambition of establishing and promoting volleyball excellence in Northern Worcester County. Our volleyball program here will provide an opportunity for student-athletes from local high schools in Central Massachusetts, and from across the Commonwealth, to compete at the collegiate level while receiving an outstanding education."

Fitchburg State will be adding women's volleyball this coming fall as its 17th varsity athletics program. The school had sponsored women's volleyball as one of its NCAA Division III sports as recently as 2003 before it and two men's programs were discontinued due to budgetary considerations. The team will compete as a club program in 2016 before taking on a full varsity schedule in 2017.

Fitchburg State, which competes in the Massachusetts Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC), will become the eighth and final MASCAC institution to sponsor the sport. The conference also includes Bridgewater State, Framingham State, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Salem State, Westfield State and Worcester State.

Women's volleyball will join the other varsity sports basketball, cross country, field hockey, lacrosse, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, soccer and softball. Fitchburg State's varsity sports for men include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, ice hockey, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field and soccer.

About 400 Fitchburg State scholar athletes compete in Division III of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.