Brockton, Mass. native joins Stonehill staff after standout career at University of New Hampshire

EASTON, Mass. (August 27, 2014) – Stonehill College has named Morgan Thatcher as assistant coach of its women's volleyball program. The announcement was made today by Lauren Amundson, head volleyball coach, and confirmed by Brendan J. Sullivan, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics at the College.

"I am thrilled to welcome Morgan Thatcher to our staff," said Amundson. She is coming to Stonehill after a decorated career at the University of New Hampshire, and brings a wealth of knowledge. Her experience as both a player and club coach will help take our program to the next level. We are excited to have her on board."

Thatcher joins the Stonehill volleyball coaching staff following a four-year career at UNH that culminated in a conference championship and NCAA Tournament appearance last fall. The Brockton, Massachusetts native served as team captain her final two years as a Wildcat and earned America East Conference Player of the Year honors as a senior. In addition, Thatcher was named to the America East All-Conference First Team as a junior and senior, and the America East All-Championship Tournament Team as a senior. She also excelled academically, earning America East Academic Honor Roll recognition in 2011, 2012, and 2013.

While at UNH, Thatcher gained coaching experience as a head coach with NH Seacoast Juniors Volleyball, one of the premier volleyball clubs in New England. She coached several different age groups, including a 16 Elite team that was the No. 1 ranked squad in New England and earned a bid to Nationals. In addition, she has served as a counselor at various volleyball camps across New England, such as the UConn Elite Camp, Cape Cod Elite Camp, Mass Premier Camp, and Olympian Pat Powers' Volleyball Clinics.

Thatcher was a member of UNH's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee for three of her four years as a Wildcat. She served as co-chair for the UNH Athlete Holiday Fundraiser, Toys for Tots, and helped out with other fundraisers, such as Soles 4 Souls. Thatcher was active in community service throughout her time at UNH, including traveling to New Orleans to take part in reconstruction efforts from Hurricane Katrina.  

A 2014 graduate of UNH, Thatcher earned a Bachelor's Degree in physical education. As a four-year member of the volleyball program, she finished her career with 1168 kills, good for fifth in the history of the program. Thatcher capped off her collegiate career by leading the Wildcats to a 20-13 record last fall, including an America East Championship and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

Stonehill finished the 2013 season at 18-14, advancing to the Northeast-10 Conference (NE-10) Championship semifinals before falling to Merrimack. The Skyhawks went 9-5 in conference play, earning a berth in the NE-10 Championship for the fourth time in head coach Lauren Amundson's five-year tenure.

With 20 intercollegiate sports, Stonehill boasts one of the top athletic and academic programs in the country. The Skyhawks have finished in the top three of the final NE-10 Presidents' Cup standings ten straight years, including a second place finish in 2013-14, winning the Cup four times, including a streak of three-straight from 2009-10 through 2011-12. This prestigious award is given to the top performing athletic school in the Northeast-10, across all sports and seasons. Stonehill has received the NCAA Division II Presidents' Award for Academic Achievement each of the first three years of the program's existence of honoring programs with an Academic Success Rate (ASR) of 90-percent or better. The Skyhawks have earned a 97% Academic Success Ranking (ASR) by the NCAA, which considers the academic success rate of the institution based on the graduation rate of student-athletes, good for fifth among all NCAA Division II institutions, with ten Skyhawk teams receiving a perfect rating of 100%. In addition, the Skyhawks are ranked sixth in the National Collegiate Scouting Association (NCSA) Power Rankings used to assess the academic and athletic standards of all NCAA and NAIA athletic programs. Stonehill has also been the host site for the 2016 NCAA Division II Field Hockey Championships at W.B. Mason Stadium.

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