BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Brooklyn College Director of Athletics Erik Smiles announced the appointment of Lauren Caiaccia as Head Coach of the Brooklyn College Women’s Volleyball program, following her highly successful tenure as Interim Head Coach during the final stretch of the 2025 season. 

Taking over at the helm of the program as the Bulldogs were on a four-match skid, Caiaccia was victorious in her first match coached at Brooklyn as BC defeated CCNY, 3-1, on October 14.  Brooklyn would then win their second straight match under Caiaccia’s guidance at St. Elizabeth five days later.  

 

Caiaccia’s immediate impact continued as she led Brooklyn to their first CUNYAC Championship match since 2022 following a quarterfinal win over Lehman and a dramatic 3-2 semifinal victory at Baruch.  Brooklyn finished the final 13 matches with a winning record under her leadership.  Three Bulldogs would go on to earn Second Team All-CUNYAC honors. 

“I am thrilled to welcome Lauren to Brooklyn as our next Women’s Volleyball Head Coach, Smiles would comment. “Her knowledge of the game, coaching and development abilities in practice, and her local ties made her a perfect fit to move our program forward.” 

 

Well-known in CUNYAC volleyball, Caiaccia had a successful tenure at Hunter College where she led the women’s volleyball program to four straight conference titles (1999-2002). She would be named CUNYAC Coach of the Year following the 2001 conference championship run.  Her success was not limited to the women’s game as she guided the Hunter men’s volleyball team to CUNYAC Championships in 1999 and 2003, and was named CUNYAC Coach of the Year following both seasons.  She would go on to earn regional recognition in 2003 by being named the North East Collegiate Volleyball Association (NECVA) Coach of the Year.  Caiaccia has the historic distinction of being the first woman to lead a collegiate men’s volleyball program to 100 wins. In addition to her coaching duties, Caiaccia served as Assistant Director of Athletics at Hunter.

“She brought together a great mix of college and high school coaching success and spent time as an administrator as well, she understands what it takes to build a program from all of the different angles involved,” Smiles would add. 

 

Following her success at Hunter, Caiaccia took over as Head Coach of the women’s and men’s volleyball teams at another CUNYAC member, CCNY. There, she coached the 2006 CUNYAC Women’s Volleyball Player of the Year while finishing up her second bachelor’s degree in Physical Education. 

 

Since 2007, Caiaccia has taught Physical Education at Townsend Harris High School.  In addition to teaching, she served as the school’s Director of Athletics for eight years, overseeing 31 teams.  Caiaccia is in her 19^th season as Head Coach of the girls’ varsity basketball team, guiding the program to a pair of PSAL semifinal appearances, three quarterfinal appearances, and multiple divisional titles.  She has also coached the boys’ varsity volleyball team to its only divisional championship in six years at the helm of the program. 

“I’m excited to be back coaching college volleyball and beyond grateful to have this opportunity specifically at Brooklyn College,” Coach Caiaccia commented on her appointment. 

 

A highly decorated student-athlete at Binghamton University, Caiaccia was a member of the women’s volleyball, women’s basketball, and track and field teams.  Starring as an outside hitter in volleyball, Caiaccia served as team captain as a senior and graduated with six school records while helping the program to their first ever NCAA Tournament appearance, SUNYAC, and state crowns.  Caiaccia has the distinct honor of being a two-time Hall of Fame inductee at Binghamton.  First, as an individual in 2004 and most recently in 2025 as a member of the 1995 women’s volleyball team. 

 

Also an accomplished academic, Caiaccia holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychobiology and Master of Business Administration from Binghamton University and a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education from Queens College.  She has gone on to earn an advanced degree in Educational Leadership and holds New York State Licenses as a School Building Leader as well as a School District Leader.  Caiaccia has also served as an adjunct professor in the City University of New York (CUNY) system.