Head Coach Scott Wong brought Pepperdine women’s volleyball alumna Blossom Sato back to the sidelines as an assistant coach in February of 2022.
The team made its third-consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament, finishing in the first round, while ending fourth in the West Coast Conference standings. The squad went 19-11 overall and 10-8 in the league in her first season.
Sato graduated from Pepperdine in 2019 after a standout two seasons as a setter for the Waves in 2018 and 2019, including an All-WCC first team nod and having led the program to an NCAA second round appearance in 2018. After finishing up her playing career, she immediately hit the sidelines, serving as Pepperdine women’s volleyball’s volunteer assistant coach in 2019 for her first collegiate coaching stint.
While on the Pepperdine sidelines, Sato helped six Waves to All-WCC honors and two to AVCA Pacific South Regional awards. She analyzed video with VolleyMetrics to create strategic and effective scouting reports and made developing relationships with club and high school coaches, prospective student-athletes, colleagues and other coaches a priority. She directed, organized and promoted seasonal camps and clinic to draw national caliber student-athletes to campus. She also assisted in all aspects of the volleyball program including but not limited to recruiting prospective student-athletes, promoting student-athlete and team performance through video and preparation, assisting in statistical breakdowns and scouting reports, and working alongside the director of operations for all logistical and day-to-day functions.
Prior to coming back to Malibu, Sato worked as an assistant coach for Portland State for two seasons, helping lead her players to three Big Sky first team honors and two Big Sky Libero of the Year nods. She coached the squad to the first Big Sky Championship semifinal appearance since 2017, the best league record since 2013 and the first postseason appearance in the NIVC since 2010 throughout her time with PSU.
While with the Vikings, she primarily focused on assisting in the development and execution of high-quality practices by implementing intense drills focusing on skill development and strategy, analyzed video through VolleyMetrics and motivated the players towards the commitment of high academic goals and continued personal development.
Sato also served as head coach of the North Pacific Juniors Volleyball Club since 2020 and has previous coached as a Head Coach for Oaks Volleyball Club and Assistant Coach for Mizuno Long Beach Volleyball Club.
In addition to her awards while playing with the Waves, Sato started all 31 matches as a senior in 2018. She ranked 3rd in the league and 42nd nationally with 10.76 assists/set. Along with a career playing for the Waves, Sato also spent a few seasons playing for Mississippi State, where she recorded the fourth-best assist total by a freshman in program history.
Sato currently resides in Santa Monica, Calif.
