Leslie Flores-Cloud to head up Eagle volleyball

Eastern Washington University has named Leslie Flores-Cloud as its new volleyball coach.

Flores-Cloud joins the Eagles after five seasons as the assistant and associate head coach at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.

"We are very excited to announce Leslie Flores-Cloud as our new head volleyball coach," Eagles Director of Athletics Lynn Hickey said in a June 15 news release. "She will initiate a new era, a new beginning for Eastern Washington volleyball through her high energy and passion.

Leslie is an influential leader with an outstanding work ethic who is committed to building a positive team culture and a competitive NCAA Division I volleyball program. She is truly a rising star and we are very proud to have her join the Eagle family."

The California native, who becomes the seventh head coach in the Eagles' program's history, was hired as the assistant volleyball coach at Drake in June 2013 and was promoted to associate head coach following the 2015 season. Flores-Cloud was instrumental in improving the Bulldog's overall record of 2-28 (.067) in 2013 to the third-most successful season in program history of 23-10 (.697) in 2017 in which the team broke into the Top 100 RPI after sitting at 303 during her first season.

"I see tremendous potential at Eastern Washington and I am excited to compete in the Big Sky Conference," Flores-Cloud said. "My family and I are looking forward to moving to the Pacific Northwest and becoming Eagles." 

During the 2016 season, Flores-Cloud guided the Bulldogs to their first winning season since 2010 with a record of 17-15. In 2017, she helped the Bulldogs make history again with its first Missouri Valley Conference Tournament appearance since 2010.

In addition to the 23 wins, the team's 12 conference victories were the second-most in program history in an 18-game MVC schedule. Drake also earned a pair of first-team all-conference selections, the first time the program had accomplished that feat since 1996. 

She received a Prep Volleyball Honorable Mention for her 2017 recruiting class and coached two freshmen to All-Missouri Valley Conference honors in 2014 and 2017, an All Iowa-Elite Team member in 2016 and one US Women's Junior National Training team member in 2016. 

Prior to Drake, Flores-Cloud served as a graduate assistant at the University of Southern California where she coached the Trojans to a 29-5 overall record and a final four appearance in 2011. She worked with Alex Jupiter, the 2011 AVCA Player of the Year and Natalie Hagglund, who was an AVCA All-American, PAC-12 Libero of the Year and US National Team player.   

She has had stints at Loyola Marymount and Pasadena City College along with over 10 seasons of coaching club volleyball in all of southern California.

Flores-Cloud was a setter at the University of La Verne where she helped lead the squad to final four appearances in 2003, 2004 and 2005. Additionally, she earned All-Tournament team in 2005 and was named an NCSA All-American Strength and Conditioning Athlete of the Year in 2007.