Zoe Leonard was named as a Dartmouth volleyball assistant coach in March, but the 2014 Kamehameha graduate hasn’t had a chance to put in any time on the court for the Big Green.
She flew home from New Hampshire for the Haili tournament in March, then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, shutting down most of the sporting world.
“The Ivy League was the first Division I conference to pull back from college competition,” she said. “Over 50 Division I schools followed suit.
“We’re on the quarter system. We’ll start classes at the end of September, so there’s more wiggle room for our administration to see what our fall will look like.”
Half of the team is on campus, Leonard said. But the NCAA postponed fall sports championships until the spring.
“It’s tough,” she said. “We don’t want to bring students in and then send them back home.”
Leonard is spending most of her days with virtual recruiting, selling potential recruits on the benefits of attending an Ivy League school.
The former Big Green libero can speak about her own experience. She graduated with a degree in linguistics, was named to the All-Ivy second team, and Academic All-Ivy.
Leonard also signed with the Big Green without first visiting the campus.
As a coach, Leonard has had to deal with 4 a.m. Zoom calls with Dartmouth coach Gilad Doron, who’s in his fifth year.
“I’ve had a few early morning calls,” she said. “It’s been more difficult with no national championships or national summer camps. I spend a lot of my days on the phone.
“I’m very thankful to be in the era of Zoom, where I can connect face to face.”
Leonard gets asked why she picked Dartmouth.
She replies that there was a challenge balancing Division I sports and an Ivy League academic setting.
“I share my story about development, not only volleyball but my personal story, about studying aboard, working on campus.”
After she graduated in 2019, her plan was to play professional ball in England and continue in the master’s program.
When that fell through last July, she planned to stay home and be an assistant at UHH, where her father, Chris Leonard, is the head coach. It was a dream father-and-daughter working scenario.
Then opportunities kept knocking at her door. An academic advisor position opened at Dartmouth, and Leonard spent 2019 in that role, which covers 35 sports and more than 1,000 student-athletes.
“I was applying for graduate assistant roles and looking to get into the coaching world,” she said. “Then the position opened up at Dartmouth. I couldn’t say ‘no.’ It was full-time Division I at my alma mater. I couldn’t ask for anything better than that.”
Leonard is spending time at her job while at home in Hilo and working out with her old teammate Kaiu Ahuna, who played at UC Riverside.
“I’ve been peppering in the back yard with her and work out with her,” Leonard said. “She’s been working on a deal to play overseas. We’re just spending time with family.
“A year ago from today, I couldn’t anticipate any of this happening. Opportunities kept popping up. I’m so grateful. I made it through four years.”
Leonard not only found a job that she loves, but she’s home and enjoying every minute while it lasts.
