Shaffer Ready to Lead Spartans Volleyball

Cayuga Community College Women's Volleyball has a new leader who's ready to build a winning program on the court at Spartan Hall.

Cayuga has named Erica Shaffer as its new Women's Volleyball coach, with Shaffer already recruiting ahead of the Fall 2026 season. She's excited to share her enthusiasm for the sport with future Spartans.

"I love this sport so much. Not just as a player, but also as a coach leading a team who enjoys the sport like I do. I'm excited to be the head coach of a program and turn that program around. That's my long-term goal," she said.

"Erica brings a lot of energy and enthusiasm to our volleyball program," said Athletics Director John Rizzo. "She knows what it takes to compete in college, and her emphasis on team-building and fundamentals will serve student-athletes well. I'm excited to see what she can build with our program, and to see the positive impact she will have on our student-athletes."

Shaffer started playing volleyball in seventh grade at the urging of a teacher. She quickly realized that she had a passion for the sport and starred as an outside hitter in high school, helping Baldwinsville High School to a state title and a runner-up finish. She followed that up by playing at Onondaga Community College, and has coached high school locally.

What she remembers most, though, is the team-building element of volleyball.

"Volleyball is the only sport where after every point the team comes together to cheer each other on. Whether it's a good play, a bad play, that's what we do. You build each other up. You're a team and you work together. That was always my favorite part of the sport," she said.

Along with recruiting, Shaffer is focusing on building a sustainable program, one that prioritizes accountability, effort, and communication. That last topic — communication — in particular needs to be a strength among the team and between the players and her, she said.

"I want my players to be comfortable enough to come to me and talk about their play, the season, what they need to work on, or anything they need to discuss," said Shaffer. "That's essential to building the type of team that we want — a team that genuinely enjoys each other and loves the sport."

Student-athletes who are interested in joining the team for the Fall 2026 semester can contact Shaffer at wvolleyball@cayuga-cc.edu.