Athletics > Volleyball > Coach
Meet the Coach
Ben Read
Head Coach
Ben Read begins his fourth season as head women's volleyball coach, an appointment that started in August 2006. Read, who came to Wheaton following a successful stint at the University of Connecticut, helped the Lyons reverse their fortunes in 2007 by posting their highest win total since 1997 at 22-13, an 18-win improvement from 2006.
In addition to being a graduate assistant coach for two seasons at UConn, Read also led the Seacoast Junior Olympic squad to an 18-and-under New England title in 2004. Read was an assistant coach with the University of New Hampshire as the Wildcats won the 2002 and 2003 America East Conference Tournaments and advanced to the NCAA Tournaments. He also served as a volunteer assistant with UNH's men's club team during that time.
While on UConn's staff, Read handled tasks ranging from player training to video breakdown to scheduling team travel. The Huskies went 32-24 during his tenure, and he assisted the Wildcats to a 46-23 record in two years at UNH, including a 23-3 America East mark.
A two-year club volleyball player at UNH, Read saw action as an outside hitter and setter during his career and captained the squad as a senior. The 2002 cum laude graduate majored in kinesiology and exercise science. Read is currently working toward his master's degree in sport management and sociology at UConn.
The Read File
| Year | Overall | League | Highlight(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 4-28 | 2-7 | -- |
| 2007 | 22-13 | 4-5 | NEWMAC Tournament |
| 2008 | 13-20 | 3-6 | NEWMAC Tournament |
| Totals | 39-61 | 9-18 | 3 Seasons |
Marriah Vengroff
Assistant Coach
Former all-conference standout Marriah Vengroff returns to Wheaton this fall for her third season as an assistant coach.
During her final semester at Wheaton in spring 2006, Vengroff helped run practices as the squad competed in its non-traditional season. She was also a counselor for two years at the Wheaton-based Southeast Mass Volleyball Camp and has worked camps at the University of Connecticut and Hall High School in West Hartford, Connecticut.
In four seasons as Wheaton's middle hitter, Vengroff appeared in 121 of a possible 126 matches. She completed her career among the top five in program history in kills (1,198), blocks (388), hitting percentage (.262) and attacks (2,873). As a junior, Vengroff was named to the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) All-Conference second team before being chosen to appear in the New England Women's Volleyball Association (NEWVA) Senior All-Star Classic the following season.
A Dean's List student, Vengroff graduated cum laude in 2006 with a degree in history.
Doree Blanco
Assistant Coach
Doree Blanco, a former standout volleyball player at nearby Stonehill College, returns to Wheaton for her second season as an assistant coach.
Blanco was a volunteer coach for the Lyons during the 2008 spring campaign and gained prior experience coaching her alma mater's men's club team in 2006 following graduation.
A three-year captain for the Skyhawks, Blanco led the team in kills all four seasons and digs three times and was among the top three in blocks every year. She finished her career with 1,136 kills, 1,062 digs and 246 blocks.
Blanco was also a member of Stonehill's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and qualified for the Northeast-10 All-Academic first team her senior year. She graduated cum laude in 2006 with a degree in communications.
This page is maintained by Scott Dietz. Last updated on 7/2/09.
Questions about this page? Use our query form.
2-Sep Wed Mount Ida H 7:30pm
5-Sep Sat Gordon Invitational A TBA
9-Sep Wed Colby-Sawyer H 7:00pm
NEWMAC Tournament
4-Nov Wellesley 3, Wheaton 0
Regular Season
1-Nov Wheaton 3, WPI 0
28-Oct Wheaton 3, Clark 2
