Coach Pichardo has spent his first two seasons at Ramapo rejuvenating the women’s volleyball program. During his first campaign at Ramapo, the program improved their winning record to an overall 13-10 and this past season he jumped to 18-12 overall and 5-3 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference. The team made the NJAC playoffs for the third year in a row.
While at CCNY, the men’s and women’s volleyball programs had compiled a record of 183-110 in the last five and a half years. He has taken the men’s team to the NECVA Championship Tournament in four consecutive years and led the team to an 83-66 overall record. He captured a CUNYAC conference title in his first year (2000), one NECVA title, and one ECAC title in 2002. The team also ranked 9th in the National AVCA Division III Coaches poll.
With the women, he compiled a record of 100-44 in the last six seasons over turning the program from 10-11 in 2000 to a 16-4 record in 2001 and 19-9 2002. In 2003, Pichardo’s program reached new heights. With just one senior in the starting line-up, CCNY achieved a 24-5 record, establishing a school record for wins in one season. In 2003 CCNY captured their first CUNYAC championship title since 1984 and earned an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Thereafter, once again, he led the program to its second CUNYAC championship, earning another trip to “the Big Dance” the NCAA’s.
In 2005, Coach Pichardo was chosen once again to put together and lead a very competitive group of ladies to represent the CUNY Athletic Conference on a Goodwill Tour heading to Buenos Aires, Argentina, with a schedule to play five matches against some of the country’s top volleyball programs such as River Plate and Boca Jrs. among others.
His many accomplishments in the sport include his being named CUNYAC Coach of the Year in 2000, 2002, NECVA Coach of the Year in 2002, Hudson Valley Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 1995, 1996 for the men and CUNYAC Coach of the Year in 2003 and 2004 for the women.
Coach Pichardo played for the CCNY Men’s Varsity program for four years and was a two-year captain. He was also the assistant volleyball coach under then Head Coach Omar Vargas during the 1997 and 1998 campaign. Presently he is the president of the Dominican Volleyball Association in the U.S.A. out of New
York City and is the sole representative of the Dominican Volleyball Federation in the U.S.
In addition, he is currently the head coach for the 6th Region Dominican National Volleyball Team and holds a FIVB Level 1 International Coaching Accreditation License. Coach Pichardo is a US NAVY veteran, and holds a Physical Education degree from CCNY and an Urban and Multicultural Education Masters Degree from the College of Mt. St. Vincent.
Coach Pichardo resides in West Nyack, NY in the County of Rockland with his wife Maria and their kids.
8/22/07
Lauren Shears - ASSISTANT COACH
Coach Lauren Shears enters her first season at Ramapo College as assistant coach after enjoying a stellar career at William Paterson University, where she set numerous school records. Her many accomplishments in the sport include being named a four-time All-NJAC First Team selection, and one of 24 Division III players to accumulate 2,000 kills in a career. Shears set a school record with 2,160 kills and 1,557 digs. Ranked eighth nationally for kills per game, Shears led the Pioneers in kills for four seasons, and earned NJAC Player of the week honors eight times.
A 2006 graduate of William Paterson University, Shears received a B.A. in Communication and in Sociology. Shears earned several accolades for her classroom exploits in addition to her talents as an outside hitter. She was a member of the first graduating class of the Social Sciences Track in the University’s Honors College and received the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award.
Shears, is no stranger to the coaching scene—in 2007 she will enter her fourth season as an IMPACT certified Head Coach for North Jersey Volleyball Club. She has also assisted with various clinics under the direction of Mike Tully, Montclair Kimberley Academy Head Coach, and Jim Reed, Montclair High School Boy’s Volleyball Head Coach.
The Montclair native currently works as a Public Information Officer for the County of Essex.
Coach Lauren Shears enters her first season at Ramapo College as assistant coach after enjoying a stellar career at William Paterson University, where she set numerous school records. Her many accomplishments in the sport include being named a four-time All-NJAC First Team selection, and one of 24 Division III players to accumulate 2,000 kills in a career. Shears set a school record with 2,160 kills and 1,557 digs. Ranked eighth nationally for kills per game, Shears led the Pioneers in kills for four seasons, and earned NJAC Player of the week honors eight times.