York College Hires New Coach For Volleyball And Swimming Teams

By Richard Heaton

The Women’s Volleyball team at York College hasn’t been doing too well over the past few years. They have played 47 matches combined during the 2016 and 2017 seasons and have only won six of them.

Entering the 2018 season, it was time for a change, and that’s where Jesus Gonzales Espinoza comes in. He was hired to be the new head coach of the team in the hope that he can lead them to a better season.

In addition to volleyball, he was also brought in to serve as the head coach of both the Men’s and Women’s swimming teams.

When it comes to soccer, he has a solid background and as a result, should be able to turn the team around. Before joining York, he served as the Assistant Coach for Queensborough Community College where he excelled at the position and helped the team win.

During the 2017 season, the QCC team went 21-7 and won a CUNYAC championship. Outside of the college landscape, Gonzales Espinoza has also led other teams and clubs.

When he was first hired, York’s director of Athletics and Recreation, Denee Barracato, had nothing but good things to say regarding Gonzales Espinoza.

“We anticipate that Coach Gonzales Espinoza will have an immediate impact, not only on our program, but on our department,” she said.

Entering Sept. 11, the Women’s volleyball team lost all three of their matches and had the worst record among senior colleges in the conference. Fortunately, there are still many matches to be played by the end of the semester and there’s still plenty of time for the new coach to turn things around.

When it comes to swimming, his background is just as impressive. For three years he volunteered as an instructor at the Asser Levy Pool near Union Square.

Last season the Men’s swimming team went 2-5-1 while the Women’s team went 0-11. When the season for both teams begin around Halloween, Gonzales Espinoza hopes to turn things around.

Maybe by the time his work with York College is done, the school can have another championship to add to their history.