The UIS athletic department has announced the hiring of Laura Ulrich as the next head coach of the Prairie Stars volleyball program. Ulrich officially joins UIS in August 2025 and brings more than a decade of NCAA Division II coaching experience to the Prairie Stars.

"I am incredibly excited and grateful for the opportunity to be the next head coach of the Prairie Stars!" said Ulrich. "I want to thank Director of Athletics Mike Hermann, as well as Nicole Hager, Dr. Elise LoBue, and Shannon Guthrie for their trust in me throughout this process. Although leaving my previous program was a difficult decision, I am confident that stepping into this role and diving into the UIS volleyball program is the right step for me. I cannot wait to compete in the GLVC and build strong relationships with the student-athletes as we work together to create something special on and off the court."

Ulrich comes to UIS after four seasons as the head coach at St. Mary's University in San Antonio, Texas. During her time leading the Rattlers, she guided the program to historic success, including its first-ever Lone Star Conference Tournament appearance in 2021 and multiple top-10 finishes in the competitive 17-team league. Her teams also achieved sustained academic excellence, earning five straight AVCA All-Academic Team awards and maintaining GPAs above 3.5 each semester.

While at St. Mary's, Ulrich coached 10 All-Conference honorees and helped eight student-athletes earn Academic All-District recognition. In January 2025, she was appointed to the NCAA Head Coaches Committee, reflecting her growing leadership and influence in the sport at the national level.

Prior to her head coaching role, Ulrich spent time as an assistant coach at Texas Woman's University, University of Montevallo, and Arkansas Tech University.

"We are excited to welcome Laura and her family to UIS and back to central Illinois," said director of athletics Mike Hermann. "She quickly emerged as our top candidate for the role after learning of her success in her four seasons at St. Mary's and her connection to central Illinois. She really understands the NCAA Division II landscape after a collegiate career that included earning All-America status at Arkansas Tech and coaching stops at her alma mater, Montevallo, and Texas Woman's prior to St. Mary's. I'm confident she will guide our volleyball program to new heights."

A native of Morton, Illinois, Ulrich has strong ties to the region and family connections to the Central Illinois area. She also brings a connection within the Great Lakes Valley Conference, having played for Kristy Bayer—her college coach at Arkansas Tech—who now serves as the director of athletics at GLVC opponent Rockhurst. 

As a student-athlete, Ulrich was one of the most decorated players in Arkansas Tech University volleyball history. She earned AVCA All-America honors in 2011 and was a three-time All-Region and First-Team All-Conference selection. Ulrich was also one of just four players in program history to record both 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs, and she was nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year in 2012. She earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees from Arkansas Tech. 

Ulrich will lead the Prairie Stars into the 2025 fall season with a focus on building a competitive culture grounded in student-athlete development and academic success.