VIRGINIA BEACH, Virginia - Ryley van der Velde has been named Head Field Hockey Coach at Virginia Wesleyan University, according to Andrea Hoover-Erbig, Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics.

"Ryley is one of the bright young coaches in the profession," said Hoover-Erbig.  "Her leadership and experience as a player at Connecticut College, when combined with her academic background and coaching experience at the pre-collegiate and college level, make her the ideal fit for our growing program."  

"I thank Coach Hoover for this opportunity and look forward to joining the Marlin family," van der Velde said.  "A great location, first-rate facilities, and a strong tradition of excellence in women's sports at Virginia Wesleyan made this an ideal opportunity. "

Prior to joining Virginia Wesleyan, van der Velde coached field hockey at Rocky Hill Country Day School in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. She is also a former assistant coach at NCAA Division III Salve Regina University in Newport, RI.  With the Seahawks, van der Velde was responsible for individual skills, player development and academic success. She was involved in program operations, formulating practice plans and planning film breakdown and evaluation sessions.

van der Velde played four seasons of NCAA Division III field hockey as a goalkeeper for the Connecticut College Camels appearing in 42 matches in goal. She accumulated 252 saves for a 0.689 save percentage and posted four shutouts. van der Velde was a two-time captain in her junior and senior seasons. van der Velde was also named to the NESCAC All-Sportsmanship Team three times in her career. 

van der Velde holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Development from Connecticut College and is pursuing her Masters in Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling from Salve Regina University. van der Velde also served as a Mental Health Counseling intern while coaching at Rocky Hill. 

Constructed in 2015, the Marlins play at Birdsong Field, a lighted, synthetic surface complex designed for field hockey and lacrosse.  Virginia Wesleyan University competes in the NCAA Division III and is a member of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC).