Amy Watanabe

Amy Watanabe is the Women's Assistant Volleyball Coach at MSU Denver.

One of the top liberos and most recognizable figures in program history, Amy Watanabe was promoted to associate head coach in February, 2023, and is in her 11th year on the Metropolitan State University of Denver coaching staff in 2023. She returned to the Roadrunners in 2013 after spending one season as an assistant coach at Montana State-Billings.

Her responsibilities on the coaching staff include serving, defense and serve/receive. Watanabe is also responsible for recruiting, coordinating camps, community engagement, academics, equipment management and alumni events with former student-athletes.

Watanabe finished her four-year career as a student-athlete for the Roadrunners in 2009, when she graduated as the school's all-time leader in digs with 1,640, a record she still holds. She was also the program's all-time leader in service aces in the rally-scoring era (141) until being passed by Rylee Hladky in 2022. As a senior, Watanabe was named Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year after leading the conference in digs per set, and was an All-RMAC second team selection. She also won the Mehn Award and was named Female Athlete of the Year for MSU Denver.

Since joining the staff, Watanabe has coached nine All-Americans (Riley Anderson, Taylor Duryea, Alysa Heath, Rylee Hladky, Avaline Lai, Lauren Quijano, Michaela Smith, Santaisha Sturges and Brandi Torr), two Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference players of the year (Hladky and Torr), an RMAC setter of the year (Torr) and 16 All-RMAC first team selections: Quijano (2014), Torr (2014, 2015, 2016), Vasati Fiatoa (2015), Ryan Hoerdemann (2015, 2016), Smith (2016), Stephanie Laraway (2017), Duryea (2018), Sturges (2017, 2018), Alyssa Kelling (2019), Lai (2019, 2020, 2021), Kayla White (2020), Hladky (2020, 2021, 2022), Alexis Benda (2021), Ember Canty (2021), Kaylee Corsentino (2022) and Kelsey Gordon (2022).

In 2022, the Roadrunners had another spectacular season. After spending the final four weeks of the regular season ranked at No. 1, MSU Denver settled for No. 3 in the final poll after reaching the South Central Regional final. The Roadrunners' only losses, to Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.) in September and to West Texas A&M in the regional final, were to the two teams that played for the Division II championship. The journey included an elusive victory in the RMAC Tournament's championship match.

For the second straight season in 2022, the Roadrunners ascended to No. 1 in the AVCA's NCAA Division II poll, this time for a four-week run late in the season. The Roadrunners set the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference record by extending their streak of consecutive regular-season league wins to 40 -- MSU Denver's last league loss was at Colorado Mesa on March 4, 2021 -- while completing a second straight 18-0 march through the conference slate. MSU Denver has also won 38 straight regular-season RMAC home matches, dating to 2018. Also in 2022, MSU Denver also had a 24-match winning streak for the second straight year -- both marks are tied for the second-longest streak in program history and the longest in its Division II era. Hladky earned her second straight All-America first team honor (AVCA) as well as second-team status by the D2CCA. Hladky was also the CSC Academic All-America first team Team Member of the Year. Anderson developed into an All-America third team selection, while Corsentino and Gordon each earned All-America honorable mention from the AVCA. Hladky was named the D2CCA's region player of the year for the second straight time, while Gordon and Mikayla McClinton each earned all-region second-team recognition from the D2CCA. Hladky was the RMAC Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, and was joined on the All-RMAC first team by Corsentino and Gordon. The All-RMAC second team included Anderson, McClinton and libero Ashlyn Cianciulli, with honorable mention recognition going to middle blocker Canty and setters Delaney Eckhardt and Amela Qershia. Canty, Cianciulli and Hlady all made the Academic All-RMAC first team, with Corsentino joining that trio on the CSC Academic All-District team.

The 2021 season was one of the best in program history, too, as Watanabe helped MSU Denver spend five weeks as the No. 1 team in NCAA Division II, to a program-best season-ending ranking of No. 3, and to a 28-4 overall record that included a 24-match winning streak and an 18-0 mark in RMAC regular-season play. MSU Denver played in the RMAC Tournament championship match for the sixth straight year and reached the NCAA Division II South Central Regional final in its 21st straight NCAA Tournament appearance. The Roadrunners led the RMAC in aces per set (1.85) as well as assists (1,544), digs (1,893), kills (1,642), aces (222) and blocks (256.5). MSU Denver was 14th nationally in assists, 17th in assists per set, 19th in kills, 22nd in service aces, 24th in hitting percentage (.246), 26th in blocks and 27th in kills per set (13.7)

During the 2020 season, which was played in the spring of 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Watanabe helped lead MSU Denver to a 15-2 overall record, an 11-1 mark for second place in the RMAC, and a fifth-straight trip to the RMAC Tournament championship match. The Roadrunners were once again deadly in the serve and pass game, and led the RMAC and ranked 10th in Division II in service aces (118) and were second and 20th, respectively, in aces per set (2.03).

With Watanabe on the sideline, MSU Denver returned to the NCAA Division II Tournament for the 20th straight season in 2019, relying on key veterans as well as an impressive recruiting class of freshmen that included All-RMAC second team outside hitter Hladky. The Roadrunners were 23-8 overall, second in the RMAC at 16-2, and reached the RMAC Tournament championship match for the fourth straight season.

In 2018, the Roadrunners earned their 19th straight appearance in the NCAA Division II tournament. MSU Denver finished the year with a 21-10 record overall and a 15-3 record in RMAC play. The Roadrunners’ season ended in the NCAA tournament’s opening round against Colorado School of Mines.

The Roadrunners went 22-9 overall and 16-2 in RMAC play for third place in 2017. MSU Denver upset No. 17 Colorado School of Mines to reach the RMAC Tournament championship match. The Roadrunners advanced to the NCAA Division II tournament for the 18th consecutive season and defeated Texas A&M-Commerce in a five-set first-round match before falling to West Texas A&M in the second round.

Watanabe helped the 2016 MSU Denver volleyball team go 27-5 overall and a perfect 18-0 in RMAC regular season in coach Jenny Glenn's first season, completing an undefeated RMAC season for the first time in the program's history. MSU Denver received the second seed in the South Central Regional for the NCAA Division II volleyball tournament. The Roadrunners advanced to the Sweet 16, losing to 12th-ranked host Angelo State (Texas) in the regional championship match.

In 2015, Watanabe helped MSU Denver to a 20-12 record, including a 14-4 record in the RMAC, which was good enough for second in the conference.

The 2014 team went 23-7 overall and 15-3 in conference play for third in the RMAC, while the 2013 Roadrunners team was 20-11 overall and 13-6 in RMAC play for a third-place tie in the conference.

She served as a student assistant coach for MSU Denver in 2010. She helped the Roadrunners to the NCAA tournament after a 25-7 overall record, including a 16-2 mark in the RMAC. MSU Denver upset third-ranked Wayne State (Neb.) in the first round of the NCAA tournament before a 3-1 loss to eventual national champion Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.).

Watanabe began her coaching career during the offseason of her playing career. She coached local club volleyball from 2007-11 and coached one season at Denver East High School.

A native of Littleton, Colo., Watanabe earned her bachelor's degree in human performance & sport (K-12 physical education emphasis) from MSU Denver in 2010. In December 2016, she completed her master’s degree in eLearning design and implementation through the University of Colorado Denver. She enjoys musicals and has also visited nine of the 14 U.S. presidential libraries.