UE Coach Led Puerto Rico To Silver Medal At 2021 NORCECA Tournament

Morales Representing UE Program On A Worldwide Stage

UE Coach Led Puerto Rico To Silver Medal At 2021 NORCECA Tournament

 EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Since taking over as the University of Evansville’s head volleyball coach in 2019, Fernando Morales has transformed the program into a contender in one of the toughest leagues in the nation.  In his first season, the program advanced to the MVC Championship for the first time in over a decade while setting multiple records across the board while his Purple Aces squad opened the fall of 2021 with seven consecutive victories for its best start since 1981.

His work in the sport of volleyball is not limited to just the college game.  Prior to his transition to the coaching ranks, Morales was a professional and national team player in Puerto Rico.  Following his playing days – it was a dream of his to have the opportunity to lead the Puerto Rico National Team.  In October of 2020, that dream became reality as he was named the head coach.

While some college programs would not support its head volleyball coach taking on something like this, UE encouraged him to pursue those dreams while utilizing that experience to take the Aces program to the next level.  This experience was something that would increase the visibility of the UE volleyball program as well as the university as a whole.

“Representing Puerto Rico was a dream growing up as a player and now as a coach.  That was my top dream,” Morales exclaimed.  “This was an opportunity that I wanted to take advantage of and get as much as I could out of it.  Volleyball is a sport that is growing in Puerto Rico and I am happy that we are making an impact and bringing happiness in tough times.”

That is exactly what his team did as they competed in the 2021 NORCECA Senior Women’s Continental Championship earlier in September.  While Morales was a player and assistant coach at that level, this was his first time working as the head coach.  He drew on those experiences as well as his time leading the Evansville program.  His team was comprised of athletes who were in their early 20’s with his oldest athlete being 32 years old.

“The first time I saw the team as a whole was when we got together for two practices before the tournament,” Morales said.  “Prior to that, I talked to them all individually and did as much as we could, but it was good to be together and playing in a match.”

Following just two practices in Guadalajara, Mexico, Morales and his team opened up the tournament with a 3-2 win over the United States.  After a 3-1 setback against Canada, Puerto Rico bounced back to defeat host Mexico by a 3-1 score in the quarterfinals.  A spot in the finals was on the line when his team faced Canada for a second time.  In the rematch, it was Puerto Rico taking a 3-1 victory to reach the finals for just the second time.

In the championship match, Puerto Rico gave defending champion Dominican Republic its best effort before coming up just short in five sets.  Prior to the championship, the Dominican Republic lost just one set in its first four matches.  Earning the silver medal in this fashion was an accomplishment that was very special for Morales and his team, but the focus is now on the future.  With the results at the 2021 NORCECA Championship, his team is eligible to play in the World Championships in the summer of 2022 in Poland and the Netherlands with an opportunity to play in the 2024 Summer Olympics on the line.

One of the most unique aspects of coaching at the international level for Morales is that he is coaching against various styles from around the entire world.  This is something that he has brought back to Evansville to apply to the Aces program.

“I have been able to learn a lot from seeing some of the top teams and coaches in the world,” Morales explained.  “The girls at this level are more experienced, so I give them a little more freedom during the game.  It is a similar system to what we run at UE.”
International volleyball features a faster tempo offense that is a bit more specialized.  One big difference is that NCAA matches allow 15 subs in a set while just six are allowed in international play.

“There are teams that play a higher tempo, but the style we play takes advantage of our strengths,” Morales continued.  “We are not the tallest team in the MVC, so we work to do things before the block gets there.  I have been able to use certain aspects of coaching at each level and apply it to the other.”

The experience he has gained coaching the Puerto Rico National Team is something that Morales has applied to the University of Evansville program.  His student-athletes have the opportunity to work in a unique style of play that allows players to be successful by focusing on their strengths.  This philosophy has been successful on the biggest level of the game and has already made difference in just a short time at UE.

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