Tennessee Tech director of athletics Mark Wilson and head volleyball coach Jeannette Phillips announced the newest addition to the Golden Eagle staff on Monday with the hiring of
Bella Borgiotti as head coach of the Tech beach volleyball program and as an assistant coach of the indoor volleyball squad.
With the move, Borgiotti will immediately take over the reins as the Tech beach volleyball head coach, a role handled by Phillips since early January. Phillips will reprise her role as the director of volleyball while remaining in place as the head coach of the indoor team.
Borgiotti joins the purple and gold after serving as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the Chattanooga volleyball program this past fall. The Mocs finished the year 17-15 overall with a 7-9 mark in Southern Conference action, as well as a berth to the SoCon Tournament.
"I am thrilled for the opportunity to return to my beach roots and help build a program that competes on the sand and in the classroom," Borgiotti expressed. "My excitement about refining crossover athletes on the indoor side is equally as palpable as I have always believed both games complement each other."
Prior to joining the Mocs staff, Borgiotti served several months as associate head coach & recruiting coordinator for the New College of Florida's indoor and beach volleyball programs. While there in the spring and summer of 2024, Borgiotti assisted in building two entirely new programs from scratch, ultimately constructing a 27-person indoor team and a nine-person beach roster during that time.
Before her brief stint at NCF, Borgiotti was an assistant coach for the Louisiana Tech indoor volleyball program during the 2023 season. In her time in Ruston, La., Borgiotti helped guide freshman setter Grace Krohn to Conference USA All-Freshman Team honors.
"Bella comes to us with a wealth of knowledge on the sand and on the hardwood," Phillips explained. "She will serve as the head coach for our beach program initially and then transition to assist indoors as well after our third season on the sand comes to an end. Immediately, we knew she would be a great match for what we were looking for as a resource for our student-athletes and as another uplifting influence on our group as a whole."
Borgiotti got her first collegiate coaching gig a year prior at Stevenson University (Md.), where she was a volunteer assistant for the women's and men's beach programs, as well as the women's indoor team. While at Stevenson, the Mustangs' indoor team finished with a 25-6 record and a spot in the NCAA Division III Tournament to close out the year.
A total of four Mustangs received MAC Commonwealth All-Conference honors that year, including outside hitter Shannon Baily earning an AVCA All-America Honorable Mention nod.
Stevenson's women's beach volleyball team was equally as impressive with Borgiotti on staff, finishing 26-7 on the year. The Mustangs ultimately finished third at the AVCA Small College Beach Volleyball Championships.
"We're thrilled to welcome Bella to our Golden Eagle family," Wilson said. "I know both myself and Coach Phillips are incredibly confident in Bella's abilities as a leader and are excited to see the kind of impact her experience can bring to our student-athletes."
During and prior to her time with the Mustangs, Borgiotti gained experience coaching a variety of junior programs around the country. This included head coaching the Virginia Juniors and Columbia Volleyball Academy's 17s teams, as well as serving as a club coach in the Florida, North Carolina, and CHRVA regions, with multiple USAV qualifications throughout that time.
"I look forward to applying my coaching philosophy to Tennessee Tech volleyball," Borgiotti explained, "which focuses on developing leaders and fostering dedication and focus that athletes can carry into all aspects of their lives. I'm truly grateful to everyone who has supported me on this journey and I can't wait to get started."
A setter in her playing days, Borgiotti was a four-year letterwinner in indoor volleyball after competing at East Carolina from 2013-14 and UNCW from 2015-16. Additionally, Borgiotti played a pair of beach volleyball seasons for the Seahawks in 2016 and 2017.
As a player, Borgiotti helped guide UNCW to the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in indoor volleyball during the 2015 season, with the Seahawks capturing the Colonial Athletic Association Conference Tournament crown and the automatic bid that came with it.
"Every year we have elevated our program," Phillips said, "and while we have a solid foundation, it's time to do things a bit differently. Bella is someone that fits into that plan in a way that will balance us perfectly."
Borgiotti is a 2017 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, where she received her bachelor's degree in sociology. Borgiotti comes from a big volleyball family, with her parents having played and met through volleyball. Her sister, Giovanna, played indoor and beach volleyball at FGCU (2016-21).
"New is exciting," Phillips added. "A lot of newness surrounds our program right now. We have a new partnership with Nike, we have a new coaching staff, and half of our team will be brand new in the fall of 2025. Stay tuned to see a new version of Tech volleyball; it will be something to see."