STANFORD, Calif. – After helping lead Stanford to its best season in program history, Angela Rock has been promoted to Associate Head Coach, beach volleyball head coach Andrew Fuller announced today.
"We're thrilled to have Angela be recognized, not only for her tremendous contributions at Stanford, but also for everything she has accomplished in the sport of beach volleyball as a player and coach throughout her career," head coach Andrew Fuller said. "Angela has brought an unrivaled level of passion for the game and the whole person to our program, and we are so fortunate to have her.
"I have so much respect for Angela as both a person and coach and I'm thankful to work alongside someone who demonstrates a high level of care for our student-athletes every single day. So many decisions in our program are made collaboratively and her fingerprints are all over our success. As we continue working towards our goal of competitive excellence while nurturing the whole person, I couldn't be more thrilled to work alongside her for a long time to come."
Rock was instrumental in helping the Cardinal program to its first NCAA Championship postseason appearance in 2021. The Cardinal set a program record with 23 wins, finishing 23-13 overall and earned the No. 6 seed in Gulf Shores. From March 6 to April 3, Stanford won 13 straight matches to set a new school record.
Stanford had 11 wins over ranked opponents during the 2021 season, including a program-record five top-10 victories. No. 1 pair Xolani Hodel and Sunny Villapando were named AVCA First Team All-Americans – the first in program history.
"The talent on this team, combined with the coaching and support staff experience, was the perfect combination to reach the NCAA Championship," Rock said. "I'm very appreciative of the confidence Andrew has in me and I hope our continued coaching partnership brings not only more NCAA Championship appearances, but also a title."
Rock came to The Farm in 2020 with extensive coaching and playing experience. After a successful collegiate career in which she helped lead San Diego State to two NCAA Final Four appearances, Rock joined the U.S. national beach volleyball team as an outside hitter. She participated in the Goodwill Games and World Championships, the 1987 Pan American Games, and the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea.
Rock is one of the most successful players in beach volleyball history, having won 27 beach events from 1987 to 2000 while playing on both the Women's Professional Volleyball Association (WPVA) and Federation de International Volleyball (FIVB) tours. She was named the WPVA Tour's Best Hitter in 1991 after winning 12 titles.
After nearly 30 years of playing, Rock retired in 2000 and set her sights on coaching. She has served as both a head coach and assistant coach at the Division I, Division II and Community College levels, with experience at The University of Alaska Fairbanks, Cuyamaca College, UC Santa Barbara, Southwestern Community College, Saint Mary's College, San Diego State and Florida State. She has also worked on the development side of the game coaching juniors at Rancho Santa Fe Surf and Coast Volleyball Clubs, while also training elite beach players and Olympic hopefuls.
Rock was inducted into the San Diego State Hall of Fame in 1991 and the Beach Volleyball Hall of Fame in 2010.