Women's Volleyball
Dillard, Erika
Erika Dillard
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- edillard@uoregon.edu
Erika Dillard just completed her sixth season with the Oregon volleyball program, and second as the associate head coach after being promoted in January 2022. She joined the program on January 12, 2018, reuniting with head coach Matt Ulmer after previously coaching with him at Long Beach State.
During her time in Eugene, Dillard has helped lead the Ducks to five NCAA Tournament appearances and four second-place league finishes (2018, '20, '22, '23) in the Pac-12. The Ducks advanced to the Elite Eight in 2018, 2022 and 2023 with Dillard on the bench, and added a Sweet 16 appearance during the 2021 spring season.
Individually, the Ducks have collected 17 AVCA All-America honors in her six seasons on the bench including accolades for Hannah Pukis (first team), Kara McGhee (second team) and Morgan Lewis (third team) in the recently completed 2023 season. It was the program's second-consecutive year with three AVCA All-America (team) certificates. With honorable mention picks for Mimi Colyer, Gabby Gonzales and Georgia Murphy, the Ducks collected a program-high six All-Americans in 2023.
Oregon finished the 2023 campaign with a 29-6 record . The Ducks made a second-consecutive trip to the Elite Eight, and after spending the entire season ranked among the top 10 in the country, Oregon checked in at No. 7 in the final poll. The team also earned NCAA first- and second-round hosting duties, marking the first time the Ducks hosted in back-to-back seasons.
In working directly with the UO middle blockers, Dillard saw a third-consecutive season with a player hitting .400 higher with McGhee posting a career-high .415 hitting percentage. That figure was second in the Pac-12 and 11th nationally, and ranks second in program history. Previously, Karson Bacon hit .413 in 2021 followed by Kiari Robey hitting .436 in 2022.
Dillard also coached the Ducks to 2.71 blocks per set which led the Pac-12 and was 12th in the NCAA. The team also led the conference with a .157 opponent hitting percentage. Individually, Bacon (1.31 b/s) and McGhee (1.24 b/s) were fourth and sixth in the Pac-12, respectively.
Oregon finished the 2022 season with a 26-6 record including a 17-3 mark in Pac-12 play. The Ducks’ 17 conference wins set a program record, surpassing the 2012 national runner-up team that went 16-4 in league play.
During their 2022 postseason run, the Ducks were chosen to host the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time in program history and responded with wins over Loyola Marymount and Arkansas to cap an undefeated (14-0) home record at Matthew Knight Arena. Oregon went on to defeat Nebraska in five sets to advance to the program's third regional final.
The AVCA awarded All-America status to Brooke Nuneviller (first team), Pukis (second) and Colyer (third) in 2022. Colyer was also named the Pac-12 Conference and AVCA National Freshman of the Year.
Oregon finished its 2021 fall campaign with a 22-9 record that featured another trip to the NCAA Tournament and five wins over ranked opponents including the program’s first-ever season sweep of Stanford and a straight-set victory over Penn State at the Pac-12/Big Ten Challenge in Eugene.
Dillard helped Oregon to 2.41 blocks per set as a team which was good for third in the Pac-12. Bacon, a VolleyballMag.com All-America honorable mention and All-Pac-12 performer that season, emerged as an offensive force with the then-school record .413 hitting percentage that ranked 12th nationally.
Dillard was also instrumental in Abby Hansen finishing fourth in the Pac-12 with a career-high 1.20 blocks per set and Robey earning Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors after a standout weekend (2.00 b/s, .313 hitting percentage) in road wins at Stanford and Cal.
Dillard's third year at Oregon saw the Ducks return to the NCAA Tournament and advance to the Sweet Sixteen, going 15-5 overall in the shortened season that was moved from the fall of 2020 to the spring of 2021. The Ducks finished second in the Pac-12 at 14-4 in league play while Nuneviller earned second-team All-America honors and three players were named to the all-region team. Dillard also helped lead an Oregon block that finished fourth in the Pac-12 with 2.40 blocks per set and allowed the Ducks to hold opponents to a .167 hitting percentage, the second best in school history since rally scoring began.
In Dillard's first season in Eugene, she helped lead the Ducks to one of the best seasons in the program's history. Oregon went 23-11 overall and reached the NCAA Elite Eight with a thrilling upset of No. 2 Minnesota on the Gophers' home floor in the Sweet Sixteen, and the Ducks tied for second in the Pac-12 to match the best conference finish in program history. Dillard also helped produce a program-record five All-Americans for the Ducks in Ronika Stone (2nd), August Raskie (3rd), Lindsey Vander Weide (3rd), Willow Johnson (HM) and Nuneviller (HM).
Dillard joined the Ducks' staff after spending eight seasons (2009-16) as the top assistant at Long Beach State, where she primarily worked with the middle blockers while also managing the program's budget, academics and overall day-to-day logistics.
During Dillard's time at LBSU, she helped the 49ers to three Big West championships and four NCAA Tournament appearances while coaching 36 All-Big West selections, seven All-Americans, 12 All-Region honorees, one Big West player of the year, one Big West Freshman of the Year and 20 academic All-Americans.
Ulmer and Dillard served as assistants together at Long Beach State from 2009 to 2013. Dillard was Ulmer's beach volleyball assistant coach in 2013 when he was the beach head coach, helping to lead the 49ers to the beach national championship. She took over as beach volleyball head coach in 2014 after Ulmer left for Oregon, leading LBSU to a 10-5 record.
During the 2014 indoor season, Dillard helped take Long Beach State back to the postseason as the Beach reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament with a 27-5 record, including a perfect 16-0 record in the Big West. LBSU followed that up with a 25-6 mark in 2015, finishing second in the Big West Conference.
In 2014, Dillard was named the AVCA "30 Under 30" award winner.
Dillard began her Division I coaching career at LBSU in 2008 after playing for the 49ers for five years as a middle blocker. She reached the national championship match as a freshman in 2001, and then led the team in 2002 with a .380 hitting percentage to earn all-Big-West honors. A second All-Big West nod followed in her junior season, when she led Long Beach State in kills with 487 and received an All-Region Honorable Mention. After a medical redshirt in 2004, she closed out her career in 2005 with another outstanding year, posting 312 kills and once again earning All-Big West and All-Region honors.
Following her playing career, Dillard spent two years as a graduate assistant at the University of La Verne, making two NCAA appearances and reaching the championship game in 2008. Dillard earned her Master's degree in business administration from La Verne in 2010.
Dillard and her husband, Jason, have one daughter, Reagan, and two sons, Caden and Bryson.
During her time in Eugene, Dillard has helped lead the Ducks to five NCAA Tournament appearances and four second-place league finishes (2018, '20, '22, '23) in the Pac-12. The Ducks advanced to the Elite Eight in 2018, 2022 and 2023 with Dillard on the bench, and added a Sweet 16 appearance during the 2021 spring season.
Individually, the Ducks have collected 17 AVCA All-America honors in her six seasons on the bench including accolades for Hannah Pukis (first team), Kara McGhee (second team) and Morgan Lewis (third team) in the recently completed 2023 season. It was the program's second-consecutive year with three AVCA All-America (team) certificates. With honorable mention picks for Mimi Colyer, Gabby Gonzales and Georgia Murphy, the Ducks collected a program-high six All-Americans in 2023.
Oregon finished the 2023 campaign with a 29-6 record . The Ducks made a second-consecutive trip to the Elite Eight, and after spending the entire season ranked among the top 10 in the country, Oregon checked in at No. 7 in the final poll. The team also earned NCAA first- and second-round hosting duties, marking the first time the Ducks hosted in back-to-back seasons.
In working directly with the UO middle blockers, Dillard saw a third-consecutive season with a player hitting .400 higher with McGhee posting a career-high .415 hitting percentage. That figure was second in the Pac-12 and 11th nationally, and ranks second in program history. Previously, Karson Bacon hit .413 in 2021 followed by Kiari Robey hitting .436 in 2022.
Dillard also coached the Ducks to 2.71 blocks per set which led the Pac-12 and was 12th in the NCAA. The team also led the conference with a .157 opponent hitting percentage. Individually, Bacon (1.31 b/s) and McGhee (1.24 b/s) were fourth and sixth in the Pac-12, respectively.
Oregon finished the 2022 season with a 26-6 record including a 17-3 mark in Pac-12 play. The Ducks’ 17 conference wins set a program record, surpassing the 2012 national runner-up team that went 16-4 in league play.
During their 2022 postseason run, the Ducks were chosen to host the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time in program history and responded with wins over Loyola Marymount and Arkansas to cap an undefeated (14-0) home record at Matthew Knight Arena. Oregon went on to defeat Nebraska in five sets to advance to the program's third regional final.
The AVCA awarded All-America status to Brooke Nuneviller (first team), Pukis (second) and Colyer (third) in 2022. Colyer was also named the Pac-12 Conference and AVCA National Freshman of the Year.
Oregon finished its 2021 fall campaign with a 22-9 record that featured another trip to the NCAA Tournament and five wins over ranked opponents including the program’s first-ever season sweep of Stanford and a straight-set victory over Penn State at the Pac-12/Big Ten Challenge in Eugene.
Dillard helped Oregon to 2.41 blocks per set as a team which was good for third in the Pac-12. Bacon, a VolleyballMag.com All-America honorable mention and All-Pac-12 performer that season, emerged as an offensive force with the then-school record .413 hitting percentage that ranked 12th nationally.
Dillard was also instrumental in Abby Hansen finishing fourth in the Pac-12 with a career-high 1.20 blocks per set and Robey earning Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors after a standout weekend (2.00 b/s, .313 hitting percentage) in road wins at Stanford and Cal.
Dillard's third year at Oregon saw the Ducks return to the NCAA Tournament and advance to the Sweet Sixteen, going 15-5 overall in the shortened season that was moved from the fall of 2020 to the spring of 2021. The Ducks finished second in the Pac-12 at 14-4 in league play while Nuneviller earned second-team All-America honors and three players were named to the all-region team. Dillard also helped lead an Oregon block that finished fourth in the Pac-12 with 2.40 blocks per set and allowed the Ducks to hold opponents to a .167 hitting percentage, the second best in school history since rally scoring began.
In Dillard's first season in Eugene, she helped lead the Ducks to one of the best seasons in the program's history. Oregon went 23-11 overall and reached the NCAA Elite Eight with a thrilling upset of No. 2 Minnesota on the Gophers' home floor in the Sweet Sixteen, and the Ducks tied for second in the Pac-12 to match the best conference finish in program history. Dillard also helped produce a program-record five All-Americans for the Ducks in Ronika Stone (2nd), August Raskie (3rd), Lindsey Vander Weide (3rd), Willow Johnson (HM) and Nuneviller (HM).
Dillard joined the Ducks' staff after spending eight seasons (2009-16) as the top assistant at Long Beach State, where she primarily worked with the middle blockers while also managing the program's budget, academics and overall day-to-day logistics.
During Dillard's time at LBSU, she helped the 49ers to three Big West championships and four NCAA Tournament appearances while coaching 36 All-Big West selections, seven All-Americans, 12 All-Region honorees, one Big West player of the year, one Big West Freshman of the Year and 20 academic All-Americans.
Ulmer and Dillard served as assistants together at Long Beach State from 2009 to 2013. Dillard was Ulmer's beach volleyball assistant coach in 2013 when he was the beach head coach, helping to lead the 49ers to the beach national championship. She took over as beach volleyball head coach in 2014 after Ulmer left for Oregon, leading LBSU to a 10-5 record.
During the 2014 indoor season, Dillard helped take Long Beach State back to the postseason as the Beach reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament with a 27-5 record, including a perfect 16-0 record in the Big West. LBSU followed that up with a 25-6 mark in 2015, finishing second in the Big West Conference.
In 2014, Dillard was named the AVCA "30 Under 30" award winner.
Dillard began her Division I coaching career at LBSU in 2008 after playing for the 49ers for five years as a middle blocker. She reached the national championship match as a freshman in 2001, and then led the team in 2002 with a .380 hitting percentage to earn all-Big-West honors. A second All-Big West nod followed in her junior season, when she led Long Beach State in kills with 487 and received an All-Region Honorable Mention. After a medical redshirt in 2004, she closed out her career in 2005 with another outstanding year, posting 312 kills and once again earning All-Big West and All-Region honors.
Following her playing career, Dillard spent two years as a graduate assistant at the University of La Verne, making two NCAA appearances and reaching the championship game in 2008. Dillard earned her Master's degree in business administration from La Verne in 2010.
Dillard and her husband, Jason, have one daughter, Reagan, and two sons, Caden and Bryson.
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