The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Volleyball
- Title:
- Associate Head Coach/Technical Coordinator
The 2024 season marks Erik Sullivan’s 14th on Head Coach Jerritt Elliott’s Texas Volleyball staff. Sullivan joined the Texas staff after making two previous collegiate coaching stops at Nebraska and Colorado.
On the Forty Acres, Sullivan works with the Horns’ liberos and middle blockers, while developing Texas’ team defensive systems and scouting reports.
In his 13 seasons with the Longhorns, Sullivan has helped the program compile 348 total wins, 12 Conference Championships, eight NCAA Final Four appearances, 12 NCAA Regional Final ("Elite 8") appearances and the 2012, 2022 and 2023 National Championship.
The 2023 season saw Texas Volleyball accomplish something only achieved by eight other Longhorn programs in history – winning back-to-back National Championships. Texas finished the season with a 28-4 overall record and swept Nebraska in dominating fashion in the championship match. Madisen Skinner was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player after having already earning Big 12 Player of the Year honors. Asjia O’Neal, Emma Halter and Ella Swindle joined Skinner on the Final Four All-Tournament Team. O’Neal capped off an incredible career with her second-consecutive National Championship and along with Skinner was named a First Team All-American.
Sullivan helped lead Texas back to the top of the NCAA Volleyball world by winning the 2022 National Championship, 10 years after helping win the 2012 national title. The Longhorns advanced to the program’s 14th Final Four and defeated San Diego in a tough semifinal match before sweeping Louisville in the National Championship match in Omaha, Nebraska. Selected as the No. 1 overall seed in the 2022 NCAA Tournament, the Longhorns spent 13 of 14 weeks ranked in the top spot during the season. Zoe Fleck was named the Big 12 Liber of the Year and a First Team All-American under Sullivan's guidance. Fleck was joined by five other Longhorn's named to All-American team in 2022, including first teamers Logan Eggleston and Asjia O'Neal.
Texas opened the 2021 season with an 18-0 record and spent the first 10 weeks of the season ranked No. 1 in the AVCA poll. The Longhorns would lose just one regular season match and earn the No. 2 national seed in the NCAA Tournament before falling in the Regional Final to eventual runner-up Nebraska. The appearance in the NCAA Regional Final was the Longhorns’ 15th in the last 16 seasons. Logan Eggleston was recognized as the VolleyballMag.com National Player of the Year, while Brionne Butler earned first team All-America recognition. Skylar Fields and Asjia O’Neal were also recognized as All-Americans.
During the summer of 2011, Sullivan served as an assistant coach with the U.S. Women’s Junior National Team at the FIVB Championships in Lima, Peru. At the championships he coached current Longhorn Haley Eckerman to a fourth-place finish.
In his three seasons at Nebraska, Sullivan helped the Huskers to a share of the Big 12 title in 2008 and an outright championship in 2010. He also helped NU to three-straight NCAA Regional appearances during his tenure. Sullivan’s primary duties included working with the middle blockers, serving as co-recruiting coordinator and handling scouting and match preparation.
Sullivan, a two-time U.S. Olympian, brings a wealth of playing experience into the Texas program, including eight years with the U.S. National Team. He started for Team USA at libero at the 2004 Summer Olympic Games and served as co-captain of Team USA at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia.
At Nebraska, Sullivan tutored middle blockers Brooke Delano, who twice earned AVCA All-America, and Kori Cooper, a two-time All-Big 12 First Team pick.
A native of Encinitas, Calif., Sullivan was an assistant at Colorado for four seasons from 2004-2007 where he helped the Buffaloes to three straight NCAA appearances and coached a pair of CU outside hitters to All-Big 12 recognition.
Sullivan’s playing experience has also stretched to the professional ranks in Europe. His professional resume includes stints in Naefels, Switzerland (1995-97), Malaga, Spain (1999), Apeldoorn, The Netherlands (2000-01) and Odintsovo, Russia (2003). In the United States, Sullivan played professionally on the Four-Man Volleyball Beach Tour in 1996-97.
In addition to his playing experience, Sullivan served as director of the Pikes Peak Volleyball Club in Colorado Springs, Colo., from 2001 to 2002 and served as coach of the club’s 17 & Under contingent.
A two-time American Volleyball Coaches Association All-America Second Team pick at UCLA, Sullivan led the Bruins to a pair of national titles during his four-year playing career (1992-95). Sullivan finished his career as UCLA’s all-time leader in matches with 10 or more digs (25) and ranked second in career digs (747). As a senior in 1995, Sullivan captained the Bruins to an NCAA title while ranking ninth nationally in digs (2.5 digs per-set). He graduated from UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in physiological science in the spring of 1995.
Sullivan is married to the former Amanda Heavner of Santa Barbara, Calif. The couple has a daughter, Shaye and a son, Cade.
