Eastern Washington University women’s volleyball head coach Leslie Flores-Cloud has announced the addition of new assistant coach, Angela Spoja. Spoja joins the Eagles after seven seasons as the head volleyball coach at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Wash.
“I am excited to the Eagle staff and am thankful to Coach Flores-Cloud for this opportunity and to be back in Cheney doing what I love,” said Spoja. “I am eager to help build on the culture that Coach Flores-Cloud has established and to reconnect with athletes and alumni. It’s a great day to be an Eagle!”
Spoja (formerly Frederick) is no stranger to Eastern Washington, as she played volleyball for the Eagles from 1995-96 under head coach Pam Parks.
“I am so excited to bring Angela on to the EWU volleyball staff. She is an extraordinary coach, recruiter and mom,” said Flores-Cloud. “Being a volleyball alumna here adds so much value to our program. We are thrilled to continue growing as a staff by adding Angela to our team along with her ties to the state of the Washington.”
Spoja leaves Evergreen State College as the all-time winningest coach. She inherited a program that was 0-55 and improved the record to 68-128 in seven seasons.
At Evergreen, she recruited and developed the program’s first-ever NAIA All-American, the first Freshman of the Year and three consecutive Athlete of the Year honorees in 2016, 2017 and 2018. Additionally, she led her team to a sixth-place finish at the NWACC Championships in 2006 and fifth in 2010.
Additionally, she was nominated for an AVCA Coach of the Year award in 2011.
Prior to her time at Evergreen, Spoja was the head women’s volleyball coach and academic advisor at Tacoma Community College from 2005-12. There, she was in charge of the oversight of recruiting, placing students at four-year universities, managing the budget, facilitating camps and providing academic guidance to student-athletes as well as administrating the women’s volleyball website with articles, photos and statistics.
While juggling all of the responsibilities at TCC, Spoja earned a 155-60 overall record and her athletes held the highest-grade point average of all the sports from 2006 to 2012. She coached five-straight Western Region Championship teams during her tenure (2006, 07, 08, 09, 2010), and led the Titans to an undefeated league record in 2007 and 2010.
She earned NWAACC Coach of the Year, Western Region Honors in 2006, 2007 and 2010 and earned the NWAACC Athletic Award of Excellence in 2006 and 2010.
Outside of her work at the collegiate level, Spoja founded the South Sound Volleyball Club (formerly Edge Volleyball Club) in 2006 and is still currently the director and coach. She oversees and manages over 300 players and parents during the eight-month club season – which includes budgets for travel, equipment and facilities. She has placed over 50 South Sound Volleyball Club members into four-year colleges with scholarships.
Spoja graduated from Eastern Washington University in 1997 with her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice.
