Samantha enters her first season with Revolution after a highly decorated volleyball career at Shippensburg University. As a four year middle hitter starter, Samantha was honored as a 3-time AVCA All-Atlantic Region Selection, 3-time D2CCA All-Atlantic Region Selection, 3-Time All-PSAC Conference Honor and 2016 PSAC Freshman of the Year. From 2016-2019, she collected 1406 kills, 144 digs and 379 blocks. Shippensburg 4 year record was 98-35, which is the most successful overall record of all SU graduating classes. At the high school level, Samantha thrived as a middle hitter and blocker for the two-time state champion Parkland High School. For her contributions, she was named to the Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association All-State ‘AAA’ squad as a senior, recording more than 230 kills and 85 blocks. Samantha also earned All-League First Team and All-District Second Team honors and played at the club level with East Coast Power. Her ECP team was nationally ranked and qualified for 18 Open USAV Nationals. Samantha amassed seven varsity letters as a high-school athlete, also competing in basketball and in track & field…was a member of the honor roll. Samantha graduated from Shippensburg University with a degree in Childhood Education and is employed as a first grade teacher in the Big Spring School District.
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Joelle enters her 1st season coaching with Revolution, having served has Shippensburg University Head Court Coaches for multiple years. She has coached youth through high school seniors. At the prep level, Joelle totaled four varsity letters for the Saint James High School Saints while competing for two years at the club level with Revolution Chambersburg. She was named to the All-Washington County First Team as a junior and senior, tailing 212 kills, 43 blocks, 34 service aces and a team-high 96 digs as a senior. Joelle was recognized as a 2014 Washington County Player to Watch, was a member of the honor roll and also competed in basketball and softball. She accrued 10 varsity letters in total. With Revolution, Joelle competed as both a right side hitter and middle hitter for their 18’s White teams. At Shippensburg University, Joelle is a 6’3″ right side hitter, appearing in 14 matches with a .300 hitting percentage. A junior at Shippensburg University, Joelle is majoring in exploratory studies.
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Syera enters her 1st season coaching at Revolution. She has served as a Shippensburg University Volleyball head court coach for multiple years, instructing youth through high school seniors. At the prep level, Syera earned three varsity letters for the Courtland High School Cougars, where she was named to the All-District First Team, All-Region Second Team and All-Area Honorable Mention. She played on the club level with Fredericksburg Juniors. Syera led her team with 400 assists and 85 service aces as a senior Team MVP while totaling 163 kill, paced the team with 677 assists. She also competed in soccer and basketball, graduating with a 4.1 GPA and received four academic letters for possessing a GPA of 3.5 or higher. At Shippensburg University, in the 2019 season, Syera played in all 33 matches, making 27 starts as a defensive specialist. She led the team and finished ninth in the PSAC with 44 service aces, ranking fifth on the team with 324 digs, averaging 2.66 digs per set. Syera served at least one ace in 26 matches, including multiple aces in 12 matches, contributing a season-high five service aces against Walsh. She totaled at least four digs in all 33 matches, including double-digit digs in 16 matches and achieved a season-high 18 digs against Shepherd. Syera finished with 46 assists, including 14 assists in a stint as a setter against West Virginia Wesleyan and had seven kills. Syera is a redshirt sophomore/junior majoring in Exercise Science.
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Morgan Defloria enters her third season coaching at Revolution following a distinguished four year career at Shippensburg University. As a four year starter, Morgan was named a 3-time All-PSAC Honor, 3-time NCAA Atlantic Region All-Tournament Team and 2015 PSAC Championship Most Valuable Player. She collected 1503 kills (2nd all time SU), 1,139 digs, 71 assists, 74 service aces and 184 blocks. While at Shippensburg, Morgan was a multiple NCAA All-American in Track & Field. Throwing javelin, Morgan qualified for the NCAA Championships all four seasons. At the high school level, Morgan was was a four-year varsity letter-winner at Hempfield Area High School. She played for Pittsburgh Elite VBC and was named to the 2014 Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association (PVCA) ‘AAA’ All-State Team as a senior. She achieved multiple All-WPIAL and All-Section honors. Morgan also competed in track & field, earning all-state honorable mention in the javelin as a junior with a third-place finish at the PIAA Championships. Morgan graduated from Shippensburg University in 2019 with a BS in biology wth a concentration in pre-optometry. She is employed at Plundo Medical Associates as a medical assistant.
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Renata Silva Gray was born and raised in Sao Paulo, Brazil, moving to the United States at the age of 17 to attend California University of Pennsylvania. Gray received a scholarship to play volleyball at California University where she was one of the most decorated volleyball players in the school’s history. Gray earned All-American honors three years in a row and was the first Academic All-America in the program’s school history on her senior year. Gray was also a four-time all-conference and all-region setter. Along with her successful athletic career, Gray graduated with a Bachelor’s in International Business and Spanish, also a Master’s in Business Administration. Gray is currently the Director of Human Resources at Anova Health Care System in Pittsburgh, PA. Gray has been a volleyball coach for the past 10 years, she was a volunteer coach at Cal U in 2010, and at Robert Morris in 2016. Gray’s club experience comes from coaching at Pittsburgh Elite Volleyball Association for the past 9 years serving as the 17 Elite Head Coach for the past 5 years. Gray took her teams to Nationals several times, finishing 5thin 2016, and 3rdin 2017 at the USAV Girls National Championships, her teams also finished 9thin 2018, and 15that the open division in 2019 at AAU National Championships. When she is not working or coaching, Gray also serves as a young adult leader at Macedonia Church of Pittsburgh. Gray believes that coaching is a God given gift, and also an opportunity to pay it forward for all the blessings that volleyball has brought into her life. In 2019, Gray was one of the recipients of the 2019 Pittsburgh Courier Fab 40 Award, as well as the 2019 Achieving Greatness Celebrating Women Award. In 2020, Gray was inducted into the California University of Pennsylvania’s Hall of Fame. Gray resides in Pittsburgh with her husband Donnie, together they enjoy family time and fellowshipping with friends.
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Natalie Cohen enters her second season with Revolution. She is the full time assistant volleyball coach at Carnegie Mellon University. Carnegie Mellon finished with 2019 season with a 22-8 match record, advancing to the NCAA D3 Tournament. Cohen comes to Pittsburgh after serving as the head men’s and women’s volleyball coach at Dean College in Franklin, Massachusetts. Cohen was hired at Dean in 2015 and launched both the men’s and women’s programs the following year. In the inaugural season with the Bulldogs, the women’s program recorded eight wins before producing 32 victories in her three seasons at the helm. Cohen led the Bulldogs men’s program to a third-place finish in the New England Collegiate Conference in 2018 after compiling a 15-10 mark and was a nominee for Coach of the Year. In addition to her coaching responsibilities at Dean, Cohen served as the Director of Equipment Operations and was the Deputy Title IX Coordinator for the athletics department her last year. Prior to her arrival at Dean, Cohen was a volunteer assistant at her alma mater, Bridgewater State University, for one season. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education in 2011 from Bridgewater State. During her time as a Bear, she was a three-year captain and ended her career ranked seventh on the school’s all-time assists list with 1,847. She helped guide the Bears to the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Tournament championship and the NCAA Tournament during her sophomore campaign. That same season, she was named MASCAC First Team and then received second team honors the following season. Cohen is currently pursuing a master’s of sport coaching from West Virginia University.
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Danielle enters her second coaching season with Revolution. Danielle attended North Allegheny Senior High School where she played as an outside and right side hitter from 2010-2014. She was a captain during her senior year and named to the All-State team. Danielle competed at the University of Pittsburgh on their Women’s Club Volleyball team from 2014-2018 as an outside hitter. She was named to the All Tournament Team at the 2018 NCVF Collegiate Club Volleyball Championships in St. Louis, MO. Danielle is currently a Registered Nurse in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit and excited to lead our Revolution 13 White team.
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