HAMILTON, Ont. – The Mohawk Mountaineers have removed the interim tag from Nicholas Petrella, naming him the 13^th head coach in program history for women's volleyball, director of athletics and recreation Matthew Ferreira announced Tuesday.

Petrella was appointed interim head coach midway through the 2025-26 season and guided the Mountaineers to a 4-4 record over the team's final eight regular-season matches.

A longtime member of the program, Petrella has been part of the Mountaineers' coaching staff since the 2016-17 season. He initially joined as the team's strength and conditioning coach before moving into an assistant coaching role, a position he held for the past nine seasons.

"It's an honour to lead a program that has meant so much to me for nearly a decade," said Petrella. "Our focus moving forward is simple, we're going to build a team that works relentlessly, competes with toughness and represents the Mountaineer logo with pride every time we step on the court. The standard will be high, and our athletes will earn everything together."

Petrella has already begun the recruiting process and will continue building the Mountaineers roster ahead of the 2026-27 season.

"Nick has been a key part of our women's volleyball program for nearly a decade, so it was a natural decision to give him the opportunity to lead the team moving forward," said Ferreira. "His knowledge of the game and his ability to foster a positive, inclusive team culture make him well-positioned to guide the program as we work toward returning to the podium in the OCAA."

Petrella will now lead the program into the 2026-27 campaign as the Mountaineers look to continue developing their roster and building toward future success in the OCAA.