Leslie Flores-Cloud was hired as the seventh head coach in the program’s history on June 15, 2018 and the 2021 season marks her fourth year at the helm. Flores-Cloud joined the Eagles after five seasons as the assistant and associate head coach at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.
At Eastern Washington:
2020-21, Third Season: Flores-Cloud led her team to a 6-12 overall record and a 5-11 Big Sky Conference record during the unique 2020-21 spring season. Highlights included a consecutive five-set sweep over Portland State for the program’s first wins over the Vikings since 2015, snapping a six-match losing streak. The Eagles also defeated Montana in consecutive five-set matches at Reese Court, and beat Idaho for the first time since 2016, ending an eight-match drought over the Vandals.
Perhaps the largest accomplishment was leading the Eagles to their first Big Sky Conference tournament appearance since 2016.
Ashlyn Blotzer was named second team All-Big Sky, Flores-Cloud’s first All-Conference performer of her career and the first for the Eagles since 2017, after ranking seventh in the Big Sky in hitting percentage with .285. Blotzer would end the season averaging 2.20 kills per set.
Flores-Cloud also coached standout libero Catelyn Linke to the all-time digs list at Eastern Washington. Linke ended her career sixth on EWU’s career digs list with 1,265 and averaged 4.67 digs per set during her career which ranks third all-time.
Off the court, all 19 members of the 2020-21 squad were named to the Fall All-Big Sky Academic team and the team was awarded its ninth-straight AVCA Team Academic Award. Additionally, ShaRae Niu was named Eastern Washington University’s Student of the Year for all of her work in the community and classroom.
2019, Second Season: Flores-Cloud led the Eagles to a 6-24 overall record and a four-win improvement from 2018 in Big Sky Conference play. The Eagles rewrote the record books on several occasions, including 16 service aces against Saint Louis which is sixth all-time in program history.
When conference play came, Flores-Cloud and the Eagles knocked off Southern Utah at home who was at the top of the conference at the time. Eastern also beat Idaho State for the first time since 2011 and followed up with only its sixth-ever win at Sacramento State. The Eagles also grinded out a five-set victory over Montana.
Flores-Cloud also coached Catelyn Linke, who averaged 4.62 digs per set which is tied for third all-time in EWU history and ranked third in the conference at the end of the season. She also guided setter Ana Paula Zandona who ranked inside the top-ten in the conference all season in assists per set. Additionally, freshman
Nicoletta Capizzi totaled the most kills by a freshman since 2015 with 208 and
MaKenna Davis led the Eagles with 32 service aces, good for .34 per set and seventh in the Big Sky.
Off the court, the Eagles earned their eighth-straight AVCA Academic Team Award and Flores-Cloud was named secretary of the AVCA Diversity Development Team.
2018, First Season: Flores-Cloud lead the Eagles to an 8-22 overall record during her first year. The Eagles got off to their best start in program history since 2002, opening the season 3-0 at the Titan Classic for just the sixth time in school history and were crowned tournament champions. She then became the first head coach in Eastern Washington volleyball history to win their first three contests at the helm.
Under her tutelage, junior setter
Samantha Boever dished out 747 total assists which was the most by an Eagle since the 2015 season. Additionally, sophomore transfer
Puaoolelagi Sao didn't move into the libero spot permanently until after conference play began and she totaled 408 digs, the most by a single player since 2008.
Flores-Cloud coached a program that held a standard to solid serving and passing and the Eagles totaled the most service aces since 2014 with 127 and averaged 1.2 per set, which ranked them inside the top-ten in the conference. Additionally, EWU garnered 1,632 digs which is the most since 2012. Eastern finished the season ranked in the top-five in the conference in digs per set (15.54).
Prior to Eastern Washington:
The California native was hired as the assistant volleyball coach at Drake in June 2013 and was promoted to associate head coach following the 2015 season. Flores-Cloud was instrumental in improving the Bulldog's overall record of 2-28 (.067) in 2013 to the third-most successful season in program history of 23-10 (.697) in 2017 in which the team broke into the Top 100 RPI after sitting at 303 during her first season.
During the 2016 season, Flores-Cloud guided the Bulldogs to their first winning season since 2010 with a record of 17-15. In 2017, she helped the Bulldogs make history again with its first Missouri Valley Conference Tournament appearance since 2010. In addition to the 23 wins, the team's 12 conference victories were the second-most in program history in an 18-game MVC schedule. Drake also earned a pair of first-team all-conference selections, the first time the program had accomplished that feat since 1996.
She received a Prep Volleyball Honorable Mention for her 2017 recruiting class and coached two freshmen to All-Missouri Valley Conference honors in 2014 and 2017, an All Iowa-Elite Team member in 2016 and one US Women's Junior National Training team member in 2016.
Prior to Drake, Flores-Cloud served as a graduate assistant at the University of Southern California where she coached the Trojans to a 29-5 overall record and a final four appearance in 2011. She worked with Alex Jupiter, the 2011 AVCA Player of the Year and Natalie Hagglund, who was an AVCA All-American, PAC-12 Libero of the Year and US National Team player.
She has had stints at Loyola Marymount and Pasadena City College along with over 10 seasons of coaching club volleyball in all of southern California.
Personal:
Flores-Cloud was a setter at the University of La Verne where she helped lead the squad to final four appearances in 2003, 2004 and 2005. Additionally, she earned All-Tournament team in 2005 and was named an NCSA All-American Strength and Conditioning Athlete of the Year in 2007. She graduated with her Bachelor's of Art degree in social science from La Verne in 2007 and her Master's of Science in physical education from Azusa Pacific University in 2009.
An AVCA guest speaker at the national convention in 2017, she was also selected into the NCAA minority coaches forum class of 2017 and is an AVCA minority recipient.
She married her husband Aaron Cloud in 2014 and the two have two daughters, Kamryn, born in 2016, and Peyton, born in 2020.
Eastern Washington Coaching Record:
|
Overall |
|
|
Conference |
|
|
|
|
| Season |
W |
L |
Pct. |
W |
L |
Pct. |
Finish |
Postseason |
| 2018 |
8 |
22 |
.267 |
0 |
18 |
.000 |
11th |
N/A |
| 2019 |
6 |
24 |
.200 |
4 |
14 |
.222 |
11th |
N/A |
| 2020-21 |
6 |
12 |
.333 |
5 |
11 |
.312 |
8th |
BSC Quarterfinals |
| TOTALS |
20 |
58 |
.256 |
9 |
43 |
.173 |
|
|
