Dylan Lasher was named the 13th head coach in Slippery Rock women's volleyball history in April of 2025.
"We are excited to welcome Dylan as the new head coach of our volleyball program," said director of athletics Roberta Page. "Dylan comes from a volleyball family with deep-rooted connections to the women's game in western Pennsylvania. His track record of leading successful programs, along with his coaching philosophy and commitment to enhancing the student-athlete experience, are things we are looking forward to bringing to The Rock."
CAREER AT A GLANCE
• Lasher came to Slippery Rock after serving as director of volleyball and the head coach of both the men's and women's volleyball teams at Thiel College. Overall, he has 10 seasons of collegiate head coach experience (women’s + men’s).
• Entering the 2025 season, Lasher holds an overall record of 110-135 as a collegiate volleyball coach, inducing a 71-60 (.542) mark dating back to the 2022-23 academic year. Lasher led teams have qualified for the postseason in six of his 10 years as a head coach.
• Lasher has shown a knack for turning around programs. On the women's side, he has overseen two year-to-year improvements of nine or more matches at two different programs with a nine-win improvement from year one to year two at Chatham and a 14-win improvement in his first season at Thiel.
• Lasher has had his efforts rewarded by being named Presidents' Athletic Conference Coach of the Year on two occasions – in 2017 as the women’s coach at Chatham University and in 2025 as the men’s coach at Thiel.
• As a head coach, Lahser has mentored 23 all-conference selections, two conference Newcomer of the Year award winners and one conference Athlete of the Year.
• In the classroom, 10 student-athletes have been named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Teams to go along with three American Volleyball Coaches Association Team Academic Awards under Lasher’s tutelage.
SEASON-BY-SEASON BREAKDOWN
2025
• Led Slippery Rock to a 10-17 record in first season in charge of the program.
• Seven losses went five sets.
• Under Lasher, The Rock ranked second in the PSAC – and 29th out of 275 Division II teams – in blocks per set (2.30). SRU also ranked fourth in digs per set (16.62), fifth in total blocks (244) and seventh in total digs (1,762) inside the PSAC.
• Lauren VonderHaar was named to the All-PSAC Team after breaking The Rock’s career record in blocks as well as ranking 15th in the country in blocks per set and 16th in total blocks.
• Academically, Slippery Rock led all PSAC volleyball programs in team GPA (3.711).
• Paityn Krause, Kara Pasquale, Lauren VonderHaar and Jaeden Yost represented the Slippery Rock volleyball team on the 2025 CSC Academic All-District Team.
THE ROCK IN THE CLASSROOM
• In Lasher's first year leading the program Slippery Rock led all PSAC volleyball programs in team GPA (3.711).
• The Rock earned the AVCA Team Academic Award while having 19 PSAC Scholar-Athletes and four CSC Academic All-District Team members.
CAREER PATH
• 2015-16: Chatham (women’s assistant coach)
• 2016-18: Chatham (women’s head coach)
• 2019-20: Millikin (men’s head coach)
• 2020-25: Thiel (men’s head coach)
• 2023-25: Thiel (women’s head coach)
• 2025-Present: Slippery Rock (head coach)
CAREER PATH
• Lasher served five seasons as the head men's volleyball coach at Thiel and added the role of head women's coach prior to the 2024 fall season. He inherited a women's program that went 3-22 in 2023 and immediately made it a contender in his first full season with the squad, guiding the Tomcats to a 17-9 record in 2024 and a return to the conference tournament. The 14-win improvement from 2023 to 2024 was the second-best year-to-year improvement among all 419 NCAA Division III women's volleyball programs that fall.
• Following the fall season, Lasher turned his focus to the men's spring season and led Thiel to an undefeated conference regular season and the PAC Tournament championship. His team then earned a berth in the 2025 NCAA Division III national tournament. The Tomcats finished the regular season 20-6 overall and 12-0 in conference play after closing the year on a 13-match win streak. Following postseason play, the program finished with a 22-7 overall record in 2025. The 2025 success was built over his five-year tenure in Greenville, which began during the COVID shutdown with a 1-8 record in 2021. The team improved to 10-18 the year after and was .500 or better in each of the next two seasons, winning 29 matches across the 2023 and 2024 campaigns.
• A former men's player and 2015 Thiel alumnus, Lasher returned to Thiel after starting an NCAA Division III men's volleyball program at Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois. He recruited 15 student-athletes to compete for the Millikin Big Blue during the program's inaugural season in 2019-20. The program won three matches and several players ranked in the top 10 individually in the College Conference of Illinois (CCIW) before the pandemic ended the season. He left Millikin for the opportunity to return to his Alma Mater.
• Prior to his time at Millikin, Lasher was the women's volleyball head coach at Chatham University in Pittsburgh. He was named the Presidents' Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2017 after leading the Cougars to a 17-11 record and their first-ever berth in the PAC Tournament. The Cougars broke more than 20 individual and team records under Lasher's tutelage and improved from eight wins to 17 wins from his first year to his second year.
• On the women's side, Lasher has overseen two year-to-year improvements of nine or more matches at two different programs with a nine-win improvement from year one to year two at Chatham and a 14-win improvement in his first season at Thiel.
ATHLETIC CAREER
• Was a four-year member of the Thiel College men’s volleyball program (2012-15).
• A two-year team captain.
• Appeared in 385 sets across 115 matches during career.
• Totaled 659 kills, a .212 attack percentage, 74 aces, 671 digs and 135 blocks for the Tomcats.
• Still ranks second in Thiel program history for career matches played, second in sets played, third in digs, fourth in aces, sixth in kills and 10th in attack percentage.
PERSONAL
• Native of Ford City, Pennsylvania.
• Dylan and his wife Kassidy have one daughter: Parker.
• Comes from a volleyball family with his mother and sisters all being involved in the sport.
• Mother Andrea serves as the club director of AIVA, sister Kenzie is a high school head coach and younger sister Justyne played collegiately at Chatham.
• Earned a bachelor's degree from Thiel in 2015.
| Dylan Lasher Women's Head Coaching Career |
| Year |
W |
L |
Notes |
| 2025 |
10 |
17 |
- |
| 2026 |
- |
- |
- |
| SRU Career |
10 |
17 |
- |
| 2024 (Thiel) |
17 |
9 |
PAC Tournament (QF) |
| 2023 (Thiel) |
3 |
18 |
- |
| Thiel Career |
20 |
27 |
- |
| 2017 (Chatham) |
17 |
11 |
PAC Tournament (QF) / PAC COY |
| 2016 (Chatham) |
8 |
23 |
- |
| Chatham Career |
25 |
34 |
- |
| All-Time Career |
55 |
78 |
5 Years (.414) |
| Dylan Lasher Men's Head Coaching Career |
| Year |
W |
L |
Notes |
| 2025 (Thiel) |
22 |
7 |
PAC title, NCAA Tournament (1st) / PAC COY |
| 2024 (Thiel) |
13 |
13 |
AMCC Tournament (SF) |
| 2023 (Thiel) |
16 |
13 |
AMCC (QF) |
| 2022 (Thiel) |
10 |
18 |
AMCC (1st) |
| 2021 (Thiel) |
1 |
8 |
- |
| Thiel Career |
62 |
59 |
5 Years (.512) |
| 2020 (Millikin) |
3 |
15 |
- |
| Millikin Career |
3 |
15 |
1 Year (.167) |
| All-Time Career |
65 |
74 |
6 Years (.468) |
