Volleyball: Ambler joins staff as assistant coach

When Pitt volleyball coach Toby Rens hired Eysha Ambler as assistant coach, Rens landed himself… When Pitt volleyball coach Toby Rens hired Eysha Ambler as assistant coach, Rens landed himself almost an exact duplicate. 

“She fits right in with her outstanding work ethic and brings what we try to embody as a program,” Rens said. “The transition was seamless.”

It’s paramount when looking for the final piece to a coaching staff to find someone who shares a philosophy and approach to the game, and Ambler brought just that. 

While Rens was impressed with Ambler’s similar outlook and personality, the new assistant coach concerned herself with the things that made Pitt an attractive place for her, things that she feels she can use to bring in others.

“I felt that the city of Pittsburgh and the University itself would be easy to sell to recruits and their families,” Ambler said. “Athletically, you just can’t beat the competitiveness of the Big East Conference, [and] academically there aren’t many institutions that can say they have several majors ranked in the top 10 nationally.”

Not surprisingly, athletics, academics and recruiting are Ambler’s areas of expertise.

Before volleyball entered the picture, Ambler’s first love was basketball. In fact, volleyball was far from her radar, as she “kind of fell into volleyball” because of her athletic ability. 

It was during Ambler’s junior year at Northwest-Shoals Community College that her interest in volleyball turned into passion under the tutelage of Tina Seals.

“She knew how to develop athletes both physically and mentally,” Ambler said. 

Ambler went on to play two seasons for the Jacksonville State University Gamecocks after transferring from Northwest-Shoals. She carved her name in the record books as the all-time single-season leader for blocks per game.  

Most recently, Ambler served as assistant coach at Tennessee State. 

While there the Lady Tigers won two Ohio Valley Conference titles and helped the program reach its first NCAA Tournament appearance. In addition to her coaching efforts, Ambler worked as a recruiting coordinator and volleyball operations director. 

Ambler’s recruiting experience and ability to communicate stood out to Rens. As the new assistant coach, her responsibilities will include recruitment efforts and personal player development. 

While Ambler’s experiences are varied, her expectations for the Pitt volleyball team are one-sided.

“My expectations for the team is to win,” she said. “Winning is a mentality and I will use my experiences to teach these girls what it takes to be mentally tough to take the next step — Big East Championships then competing for a national title.