Scott Blanchard
Scott Blanchard
Title: Head Volleyball Coach
Phone: 617-994-6880
Email: sblanchard3@suffolk.edu

Scott Blanchard was announced as Suffolk volleyball's head coach in July 2018 and begins his sixth season with the Rams in 2023.

Blanchard had a standout first season on Suffolk’s bench as the Rams put together the most conference wins (7-5) since 2005 and played its way to the league semifinals for the first-time in program history as the fifth-seed. The blue-and-gold’s first conference quarterfinal win came in sweeping fashion over Lasell. That win also marked the first-ever time Suffolk took down the Lasers.

The first-year head coach relied on senior the leadership of Talia Lombardo to put together a 12-17 overall mark. Lombardo, Suffolk’s all-time leader in aces and a member of the Rams’ 1,000-assist club, capped of her collegiate career with a spot on the All-GNAC third-team. 

The saying second is the best proved in year two of the Blanchard era as the 2019 Rams became the winningest team in program history with a 20-12 overall mark. 

League wise, the blue-and-gold left their mark in the GNAC, with the switch to the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) on the calendar for 2020, going 9-3 versus conference counterparts for the fourth seed in the postseason, which ties the highest finish in the GNAC in program history. The Rams advanced to the semifinals for the second straight season behind their first-ever postseason sweep, a straight set win over Colby Sawyer. 

Individual highlights from Blanchard’s second year featured Dakhensey Marcellus’ hitting the 1,000th-dig mark, just the second Ram to do so, third-team All-GNAC honors for Harmony Johnson and Hannah Fabiano, as well as an all-tournament team selection for Stephanie Rheaume. Regionally, Johnson garnered NEWVA All-Rookie Team status and Sarah Mullahy was invited to the NEWVA Senior All-Star Classic.

Blanchard's third season, which marked a historic one in Suffolk's record book as the Rams were set to transition to a new era, the CCC, was sidelined due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. 

Suffolk’s athletic accolades transferred into the classroom as well as the Rams were recognized with a USMC/AVCA Team Academic Award for the first time under Blanchard’s leadership and second time in program history in 2018-19. The blue-and-gold picked up the award again for the second time in the Blanchard era two years later. That same season, in 2020-21, Dakhensey Marcellus etched her name in the Rams' record book for academic accolades as the first player in program history to earn CoSIDA Academic All-District distinction. 

Year four of the Blanchard era transitioned Suffolk's volleyball team into a new era, the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC). The Rams held their own in the highly competitive conference and put together an 11-17 overall record and locked up the seventh seed in the league's post season thanks to their 3-6 CCC mark. Individual standouts included All-NEWVA and All-CCC honorees Kenzley Bell and McKenna Keowen.

In 2022, Suffolk played its way to the CCC Semifinals for the first time in program history after assembling a 19-9 regular-season record and a 6-3 league ledger, good for the fourth seed in the conference tournament. The Rams were anchored by CCC Libero of the Year, Kenzley Bell, and her co-captain Harmony Johnson, who became the first Ram in the record books to dish out over 2,000 assists in her collegiate career. Bell, a first-team all-conference honoree, was one of four blue-and-gold players to pick up all-league distinction alongside second-team selections Johnson and McKenna Keowen and third-teamer Alina Nowakowski

Off the court, Blanchard's squad scooped up an USMC/AVCA Team Academic Award for the fourth time in program history, with all honores under Blanchard's guidance. Individually, Bell, Emily WheelerJayla Martinez and Nowakowski made history as the first Rams in the volleyball annals to received College Sports Communciators Academic All-District, which put the blue-and-gold foursome on the Academic All-America ballot, the longest-running and most prestigious academic and athletic award a student-athlete may receive. 

Blanchard’s extensive resume features over 20 years of volleyball coaching experience including two stints at Brown University.

Blanchard ventures back to Boston after a decade of service as an assistant coach at Brown. Over 10 seasons, he helped guide the Bears to a pair of top tier finishes in the Ivy League in 2013 and 2014, respectively, and mentored 12 All-Ivy League selections. He played a crucial component in practice organization, recruiting, game management, as well as compliance, travel and handled the team’s social media.

Prior to his role in the Ancient Eight, he enjoyed a successful eight-year tenure as head coach at Medway High School from 2000-07 where he put together a 155-30 (.838) overall record. He led Medway to back-to-back state final runs in 2000 and 2001, an unbeaten regular season in 2001, as well as three league crowns.

Blanchard’s coaching days began at the high school and college levels in his home state of Michigan. His stops included eight seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, as well as three seasons at Madonna University in Livonia, Michigan. He also succeeded as a high school coach in the Wolverine State, directing Trenton High School to an overall mark of 185-60 (.755) over seven seasons.

In 1995 he took his talents to Rhode Island for his first-stint at Brown in which he led the Bears to their first-ever Ivy League title and NCAA appearance. After two years with the Bears, he ventured to Beantown to join Northeastern’s staff as an assistant coach in 1997, before taking over Babson’s program as head coach in 1998.

A member of the board of directors for the Central Mass Volleyball Club, Blanchard has coached top-10 18s team, as well as top-10 16s team for the club. 

He earned his Bachelors of Arts from Eastern Michigan University in 1995 and currently resides in Sherborn, Massachusetts, with his wife, Kaylee, and two sons, Evan and Ethan.