Emily Strack just completed her fourth season with the indoor squad after a standout career on the court and in the sand for the Ospreys. Strack served as the indoor volleyball director of operations for one season before moving to an assistant coaching role. She also served as an assistant on the beach side for three seasons.
The Fort Lauderdale native's first dose of coaching at UNF came after joining as the volunteer beach coach for the 2016 ASUN Champion squad, the first title for the Ospreys since Strack's senior season in 2013.
After joining the indoor squad in 2018 UNF has clinched four ASUN Championship berths, set program RPI and wins record and notched its first-ever NIVC appearance. Over the last four seasons, North Florida has had 10 All-ASUN honorees, two ASUN Defensive Players of the Year and two CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team honorees.
The The 2021 calendar year was monumental for the North Florida program. The Ospreys combined to go 35-18 over the spring and fall 2021 seasons, knocking off a myriad of firsts in program history.
In the spring of 2021 Strack saw UNF post one of its best seasons as part of its ASUN tenure. North Florida finished as the second seed in the ASUN South Division, posting an 8-4 record in conference competition, earning the squad’s first trip to the ASUN Semifinals since 2012.
UNF claimed two wins against ASUN South Division top-seed FGCU, finishing with a 10-10 overall record. Two ASUN superlative awards were garnered in 2021, with outside hitter Gabby O’Connell becoming the first ASUN Scholar-Athlete in program history and libero Rocio Moro earning the program’s first ASUN Defensive Player of the Year award since 2014.
North Florida volleyball reached new heights the following fall. UNF went 25-8, earning a trip to the NIVC while reaching as high as No. 49 in the RPI rankings, the highest in program history. The Ospreys finished the year ranked No. 75 in NCAA RPI, reaching as far as the NIVC Quarterfinals to give UNF its first December volleyball as a Division I program.
A setter during her playing days, UNF has had a pair of outstanding setters during her two years. In 2018 setter Madilyn McCarty tallied 1,050 assists while being one of the most versatile at her position. A year later freshman Julianna Askew led all NCAA Division I freshman with 1,296 assists while tallying seven double-doubles and a 70-assist outing against FIU Sept. 14. In the spring of 2021, UNF implemented a 6-2 rotation with Askew and freshman Annie Antar, leading the league in assists while seeing Antar garner ASUN All-Freshman honors.
Strack initially served as the director of volleyball operations during the 2018 campaign, assisting with compliance coordination, data volley, scheduling of game and practice facilities, coordinating travel and other duties.
Strack first entered into the coaching world at Fletcher High School in Neptune Beach. Strack helped lead Fletcher to the Florida State High School Athletic Association Indoor State Championship in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. During this time she was also an assistant director and coach for the Powers Volleyball Club. Under her direction she helped produce 20 Division I and Division II indoor and beach volleyball commits.
Beach Volleyball Coaching Career
In three seasons as an assistant coach with the beach volleyball program the Ospreys posted a 53-40 record, with the 20-win season in 2019 marking the most triumphs since the ASUN Championship year in 2016. During that season UNF knocked off No. 20 TCU, 3-2.
Playing Career
A point of Osprey history, Strack touts the title as the first beach signee for UNF when it became a sport, helping UNF earn its first win in program history, a triumph against Jacksonville. In 2012 she helped the Ospreys to the ASUN title and an appearance in the AVCA National Championship alongside her partner Dagnija Medina. Their national title run included wins against Hawaii and USC as they finished ninth as a pair. She helped UNF make it back-to-back titles and consecutive AVCA National Championship appearances the following year. Her and partner Anna Wagner picked up a victory against Florida State in the the national pairs tournament.
Strack finished her career with 40 individual victories, garnering first team all-conference selections three times. She was also a setter for the indoor program, helping UNF to their first ASUN Tournament finals appearance during the 2012 year.
Personal
In 2013 she graduated with a bachelor's in communication. She put that degree to work, assuming the role of color commentator for ESPN3 and ESPN+ broadcasts for the 2015, 2016 and 2017 seasons.
Strack is married to Ryan Roberson, former Osprey Baseball standout and ESPN+ color commentator for UNF baseball broadcasts. Her father, Raymond Strack was a standout basketball player at Maritime University.
