After spending the previous two seasons as an associate head coach, Odaly Aponte-Orta has been officially named as the new Monroe Express women’s volleyball head coach for the 2023 season. She inherited an Express team that had a historical season, going 18-6 (7-2 Region 15), made the finals of the 2022 Region 15 DIII Championship Tournament, captured the Northeast B District Championship, represented Monroe University - Bronx in the NJCAA DIII National tournament, and earned the NJCAA Tournament Sportsmanship Award.
During her first season as head coach of the Express in 2023, the team earned its highest national ranking in program history at No. 4, won its first ever NJCAA Tournament match, captured its second straight district title, claimed the program's first ever Region 15 Championship, went undefeated in Region 15 play at 14-0, and defeated multiple nationally ranked teams including one in the national tournament.
Also in 2023, Aponte-Orta was named the Region 15 Coach of the Year and earned North Atlantic A District Coach of the Year honors. That same season, she coached and mentored NJCAA First-Team All-America honoree Lisanel Rodriguez who also earned Region 15 Player of the Year, All-Region honors, and was named to the College Sports Communicators Women's At-Large Academic All-America second team. Aponte-Orta also led Region 15 Setter of the Year and All-Region first team recipient Luisanni Rodriguez. Valery Nunez was selected to the All-Region 15 second team. Lisanel Rodriguez and Nunez earned NJCAA National Player of the Week accolades. Lisanel Rodriguez and Luisanni Rodrigruez each earned a spot on the CSC Academic All-District College Division At-Large team. Five players were selected to the NJCAA All-Academic team, including first-team honoree Yasmel Molina. Seven student-athletes were named to the Region 15 All-Academic team. The Express women's volleyball team earned the NJCAA Academic Team Award.
In her second season at the helm in 2024, the Express captured the North Atlantic B District Championship and earned a berth in both the Region 15 Championship match and the NJCAA Tournament. Aponte-Orta was selected as the North Atlantic B District Coach of the Year. She coached and mentored Aleishka Diaz who was named NJCAA National Player of the Week and earned a spot on the All-Region 15 first team. She also guided Gabriela De La Rosa who landed on the All-Region second team. Three of her student-athletes were selected to the 2024-25 NJCAA All-Academic team, including Molina who earned NJCAA All-Academic first team accolades for the second year in a row. Under Aponte-Orta's guidance, Molina and Serena Bueno were selected to the CSC Academic All-District College Division At-Large team. Three of her players earned spots on the Region 15 All-Academic team and two landed on the Eastern Athletic Communications Assocation Academic Honor Roll .
Aponte-Orta began her volleyball career as the girls head volleyball coach for the Gigantes Volleyball Club in Carolina, Puerto Rico from 1992-2004. During this stint, she also spent time with Colegio Maria Auxiliadora as a physical education teacher, head volleyball coach and summer camp director from 1998-2004. In 2004, she joined the NYC DOE as a physical education teacher.
After this time, she joined the college ranks by joining Borough of Manhattan Community College as their head volleyball coach, staying with the program from 2014-2020, improving their overall record to double figures by her third season at the helm. In 2020, she began her stint with the Express as an associate head coach, while also working with the Legacy Volleyball Club as the 16 National Smack volleyball head coach and the 13 Regional head coach since 2015.
