Akiko Hatakeyamaon

Syracuse University – Associate Head Coach (NCAA DI)

Syracuse volleyball head coach Bakeer Ganesharatnam announced the addition of associate head coach Akiko Hatakeyama to his support staff, on Thursday afternoon.

“We are thrilled that coach Akiko is joining us at Syracuse,” said head coach Bakeer Ganesharatnam. “She has competed at an extremely high level as a collegiate athlete and on the professional stage. Hatakeyama is an experienced coach, has proven to be one of the best-setting coaches in the country, and is an excellent recruiter. She will serve as an excellent mentor for our student-athletes on and off the court as well.”

Hatakeyama joins the Orange after serving as an assistant coach at the University of Nevada at Reno during the 2022 season. She coordinated team travel, managed equipment, and worked with the setters while assisting with compliance and recruiting.

“I’m so grateful that Bakeer has given me the opportunity to join such a respected volleyball program,” said Hatakeyama. “This program has a lot of potential and I’m beyond excited to see what we will achieve as a team.”

Before her stint at Reno, Akiko worked with the Saitama Ageo Medics volleyball team (V. League 1) in Ageo City, Saitama, Japan from August 2021 through May 2022. She worked as an Interpreter, helping professional volleyball players integrate with the team, and acted as the communication liaison for players and the coaching staff while assisting in practice and competitions.

Hatakeyama played professional volleyball in Europe for 11 years. The Saitama native also competed in the United States Professional Volleyball League (USPV), helping the Grand Force Rapids to a third-place finish (2002).

After her playing career, Hatakeyama was hired as an assistant coach at Temple in 2011, where she was hired by Ganesharatnam during his tenure with the Owls. Hatakeyama remained with the program through 2020 where she was promoted to associate head coach in December 2016. The season following her promotion, Hatakeyama helped the Owls make history. In 2017 Temple qualified for the postseason for the first time in 15 years and made it to the second round of the National Invitational Volleyball Championship.

The Setter began her colligate career at Kaetsu Women’s Junior College, where she earned a two-year degree in International Economics. She continued her college career in the states, playing for Southern Mississippi (1996) before Hatakeyama transferred to Temple for her final two seasons, where she helped the Owls to their first NCAA tournament berth in 1997. She was also an AVCA All-District honoree. She graduated from Temple in 1999 with a Bachelor of Science in sports management.

Hatakeyama serves on the board of the Japanese Volleyball Coaches Association and is a member of the American Volleyball Coaches Association. She also holds a level I and II International coaches license from Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB).

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Lindsay Allman

Florida State University – Associate Head Coach (NCAA DI)

• Florida State Volleyball Head Coach Chris Poole announced the addition of Associate Head Coach Lindsay Allman to the Seminole program on March 22, 2022.
• Allman will be tasked with operating as the team’s recruiting coordinator, while her training will include primary work with FSU’s outside hitters and ball control.
• “I’m very excited to add an Associate Head Coach to our program that has already been an assistant coach at a Power Five level at Wake Forest and also has head coaching experience from her time at Indiana State,” Poole said. “Lindsay has a strong reputation of being a great recruiter, a players’ coach with her focus on team culture, and she did an amazing job building the Indiana State Volleyball program.”
• Allman, a native of St. Louis, Mo., honed her coaching skills in recent years in the Missouri Valley Conference. She spent five years from 2017-21 building Indiana State into a program on the rise, guiding the Sycamores to an 18-13 overall record in 2021 and leading them to their first conference tournament win since 2017.
• Allman’s addition gives the Seminoles three members of their coaching staff who have been collegiate head coaches. Current Associate Head Coach Jeff Hulsmeyer was also a head coach at Western Kentucky, Arkansas State and Purdue.
• “I am grateful to Coach Poole for this opportunity to join the FSU community and be part of a top caliber program under his leadership,” Allman said. “I’m excited to learn from the number one women’s athletic department in the country and two excellent coaches in Chris and Jeff. I look forward to standing alongside our players here on and off the court. Go Noles!”
• The 18 victories by Indiana State in 2021 under Allman were its most since joining the Missouri Valley Conference in 1983.
• The 2021 season culminated in a bid to the National Invitational Volleyball Championships field. In her five seasons, Indiana State made two MVC semifinal appearances in their conference tournament.
• Allman helped develop several Indiana State student-athletes, including All-MVC selections Laura Gross and Madeline Williams. The Sycamores also received the AVCA All-Academic Award in each of Allman’s five seasons as head coach.
• As the recruiting coordinator for Bradley from 2013-15, Allman’s time was impactful with the Braves.
• In 2013, Bradley finished with 13 overall wins and seven wins in the MVC, the program’s best marks since 2005. The Braves made their conference tournament in that season for the first time since 2005.
• Her Power Five experience came in one season with Wake Forest in 2016, helping two Demon Deacons in outside hitter Caroline Rassenfoss and middle blocker Caitlyn Della earn All-ACC Freshmen honors.
• Allman was an accomplished collegiate athlete at Maine, recording more than 1,000 career kills as well as over 1,000 career digs as a four-year starter with the Black Bears. She was a First Team All-America East Conference player as a captain in 2008, and also enjoyed success in the classroom as a three-time America East Honor Roll student from 2007-09.
• She is a 2009 graduate from Maine with a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication and minors in Public Relations and Child Development. She earned her master’s degree in social work from Southern Miss in 2011, where she was also a Graduate Assistant Coach for three seasons.
• Allman is married to Tallahassee native and Florida State University graduate William Dehler. The two have one daughter, Nellie (11 months).