RICHMOND, Va. – New VCU Volleyball Head Coach Tim Doyle is rounding out his coaching staff with some familiar faces. Former VCU stars and teammates Janelle Barrineau and Cecilia Blanchard have joined the Rams as assistant coaches.
 
"I couldn't think of two better people to help lead this program and mentor our student-athletes than Janelle and Ceci," Doyle said. "They are both phenomenal recruiters and teachers of the game. More importantly, they focus their time and energy on empowering the young women in their care. Our mission is to equip each young woman on our team with the tools necessary to be a dynamic leader, as well as foster an environment that grows and develops her as a person. Janelle and Ceci will be the foundation on which this mission is accomplished, and I'm privileged to work alongside them."
 
Barrineau, nee Sykes, spent the past five seasons as an assistant coach on Doyle's staff at William and Mary, where she helped recruit and develop several All-CAA players, including two-time First Team honoree Julia Brown. With Barrineau's help, the Tribe won more matches in 2022 than in any season since 2013, and reached the CAA semifinals for the first time since 2009.
 
In May, Barrineau was named an AVCA 30 Under 30 award winner, an honor that seeks to identify rising stars in the volleyball coaching ranks.
 
Barrineau was a standout middle blocker for VCU from 2011-14. Her 336 career blocks rank 10^th in school history and her 1.23 career blocks-per-set average is fifth-best all-time at VCU. As a senior in 2014, she hit .330 and averaged 2.82 kills and 1.20 blocks per set. She later played professionally in Azerbaijan and Belgium.
 
Blanchard, nee Aragao, returns to VCU after spending the 2022 campaign as an assistant coach at Buffalo, where she helped the Bulls to a 19-win season and a MAC semifinal appearance. Blanchard served as a graduate assistant for VCU during the 2021 season.
 
A native of Recife, Brazil, Blanchard was previously an assistant coach at Fullerton Community College for both the indoor and beach volleyball programs, where she won an Orange Empire Conference beach championship in 2021. She also served as the head coach at the Rosary Academy, as well as the ProPlay Volleyball Club.
 
Blanchard starred alongside Barrineau at VCU from 2011-14. A setter, Blanchard ranks third all-time at VCU in assists (3,932), fourth in assists per set (9.71) and seventh in blocks (370). Blanchard was named First Team All-Atlantic 10 Conference in 2014 after she averaged 9.83 assists and 0.88 blocks per set.
 
She later embarked on a professional playing career that included stints in Slovenia, France and Switzerland.