Marasco-Ayau to step into role as head men's volleyball coach

SIOUX CITY, IOWA – Morningside Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Jim Sykes announced that Noah Marasco-Ayau is the next head men's volleyball coach at Morningside, following a season spent as the interim head coach.

The move comes following a program-best season in which the Mustangs collected 17 wins, recorded a .531 winning percentage, and set 19 other program records. Marasco-Ayau was also named Great Plains Athletic Conference co-Coach of the Year.

"I am blessed to be given the opportunity to lead this group of young men," said Marasco-Ayau. My goal is to continue to mold these young men into great individuals on and off the court."

Marasco-Ayau leads the program as the first coach to have played at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics level. He also has a wealth of experience coaching, having held positions at the club and high school levels.His coaching philosophy places an emphasis on promoting teamwork, hard work, and passion for the sport while molding individuals ton the best people that they can be, on and off the court.

Marasco-Ayau spent his playing career in the blue and gold of Briar Cliff, spending time on the floor as a defensive specialist and pairing his playing time with strong academic involvement, landing on the BCU Dean's List, the Athletic Director's honor roll, and serving in an editor role of the Briar Cliff Review in both 2019 and 2020. 

On the court, Marasco-Ayau tallied 872 digs, 172 assists, and 28 service aces, averaging 2.84 digs per game. He was named to the 2019 and 2020 American Midwest/Great Plains/Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference all-conference first team, taking the title of Libero of the Year in 2019, the final year it was offered, and second team honors in 2018. 

The Honolulu, Hawaii native was an assistant coach at Dakota Valley, where he also teaches, in the fall of 2023. Previously he was a varsity assistant and head JV coach at Le Mars High School, was part of the Arena Volleyball Club's coaching staff, and was a varsity assistant at Andes Central High School in Lake Andes, S.D.