Marquette Names Pati Rolf Head Volleyball Coach

Pati Rolf

Milwaukee -- Marquette University Athletics Director Bill Cords announced today that Pati Rolf has been named the school's head volleyball coach. Rolf will take over for former head coach Laura Farina who assumed the head volleyball coaching duties at Auburn University earlier this spring.

Rolf comes to Marquette after a highly successful 14-year stint as the head coach at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. During that time, she compiled an overall record of 310-169 (.647) that included 11 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference titles. Named the NSIC Coach of the Year on four occasions, she guided the program to the NCAA Division II Regional Tournament three times (1991, 1994 and 1998). She directed the program to 10 campaigns of 20 or more wins and her conference record during her tenure was a glittering 165-20 (.892).

"We are excited that Pati is coming to Marquette," stated Cords. "She is well respected in the volleyball community as a coach, a recruiter, and as a developer of a quality program. She has exceptional leadership skills and a very strong belief in service to the community. Her commitment to succeed has enabled her to be successful at all levels of the sport."

Prior to her stint at UMD, Rolf served as both the head coach at Fargo North High School in North Dakota (1987-88) and the head coach/director of the Red River Valley Junior Program in Moorhead, Minnesota (1984-88). In addition, she was selected to serve as an assistant coach at both the 1992 and 1993 USA Volleyball Women's Junior Elite Camp in Colorado Springs and as an assistant coach (East Team) at the 1994 U.S. Olympic Festival in Saint Louis.

"Marquette is a great community and is committed to excellence in academics and athletics," said Rolf. "The leadership level at the university, both on the athletic and administrative level, is outstanding and one that I have a lot of faith in. The exciting things that are going on at Marquette, especially in terms of improving the facilities, is something that I wanted to be a part of. I was really impressed on how great the people were there. Everybody I met displayed a genuine warmth and sincerity."

A native of Hopkins, Minn., Rolf was a four-year volleyball letterwinner at North Dakota State University (1981-84). As a senior, she captained her team while gaining NCAA Division II All-Region and All-North Central Conference honors. She distinguished herself in the class room as well, earning NCC All-Academic honors twice. By the time her career had concluded, she had set a Division II career record for matches played (239). Rolf recorded NDSU career marks in service aces and matches played and single-season marks for block solos and service aces. In October of 1999, she was inducted into the NDSU Athletic Hall of Fame.

Rolf received her Federation Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) International Officiating Certificate in 1999, making her just one of five female international officials. She has been a registered national volleyball official since 1990 and worked as a line judge in both the men's and women's volleyball competition (including the women's gold medal game) at the 1996 Summer Olympics. She has served as an official for the Big Ten Conference (1991 to present) and the U.S.P.V. (2000-2001).

Rolf served on the Board of Directors of the American Volleyball Coaches Association from 1995 through 1998 and has served on the organization's National Ranking Committee since 1993. She obtained a B.U.S. degree in University Studies with an emphasis in Corporate/Community Fitness and Nutrition from North Dakota State and is in the process of completing her Master's Degree in Education.

A member of the Board of Education for the Duluth Public Schools since 1998, her family includes her husband, Kent, son, Graydon, and daughter, Madison.