Eli Porr is entering his sixth season as the head men's volleyball coach in 2021-22. Porr was named head women’s volleyball coach at Arcadia University in January 2015. He is the first full-time head coach in program history and sixth head coach in the NCAA Division III-era of Arcadia’s program. Porr was later named head men's volleyball coach in August 2015 after Arcadia announced the addition of men's volleyball as a varsity sport to debut during the 2016-17 academic year. Following the 2019 academic year, the head coach responsibilities of the men's and women's programs were split with Porr taking over the men's team and long-time assistant, Kevin Rivas being named the women's head coach.
Porr wrapped up his fifth season as the head men's volleyball coach with a 10-6 overall record. The Knights finished its regular season with a 10-5 conference mark, before falling to Alvernia University, 3-2, in the MAC Quarterfinals. The program produced its second-consecutive AVCA All-American selection with Quinn Baily receiving First-team recognition. The senior was also chosen AVCA All-East Region and All-MAC First-team.
Porr's fourth season at the helm in 2020 featured one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country, as the Knights took on several top-15 teams in the nation and were ranked 10th in the nation by AVCA entering the year. Arcadia produced an 11-10 overall record and a 3-2 mark in conference contests before the MAC canceled the remainder of spring seasons on March 16. Despite the season being cut short, senior Austin Braas led all of NCAA Division III in hitting percentage for the second-consecutive season en route to earning AVCA All-East Region and First-team All-America honors.
The 2019 men's season was a banner year as the squad won the MAC Championship for the first time in program history, qualifying for the NCAA Tournament. The Championship was won the arm of Austin Brass, who named the first All-American in school history. As a team, a program-best five Knights were selected to the All-MAC teams, including freshman Dan Paraskevov, who was honored as the Rookie of the Year, the first Knight ever to take home one of the MAC's major awards.
In four seasons he has led the women to an overall record of 73-54 (.574), including a mark of 45-24 (.652) over the past two seasons. The Knights advanced to the championship match of the MAC Commonwealth Conference Championship for the first time in 2017 and then again in 2018. The 2017 team set a program record with 23 wins, and in 2018, the Knights were regionally ranked for the first time in program history and posted 22 wins, including a win over a nationally-ranked opponent for the second consecutive season. In all, Porr has led seven players to a total of 10 postseason awards from the MAC Commonwealth and has been named the league's top coach twice (2017, 2018).
On the men's side, the Knights have posted a 29-31 record in their first two seasons of competition, including a 17-13 record in 2018 - a 5-game improvement from the debut season. Under Porr's guidance, four players earned all-conference honors in 2018, the first year of MAC sponsorship, and the Knights earned the No. 3 seed in the inaugural MAC Conference Championships. The Knights upset second-seeded Messiah 3-1 to advance to the championship match.
The 2018 season saw the Knights have their first player (Emily Eng) earn American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Region Honors. Eng would go on to earn the Knights first AVCA All-American honor as she was an honorable mention selection at the end of the season. In all, the Knights had five players earn postseason recognition from the MAC Commonwealth, including first team selections Julia Paliwodzinski and Eng, while Porr picked up his second consecutive MAC Commonwealth Coach of the Year award.
In 2017, Lauren Enfield was named the MAC Commonwealth Rookie of the Year as Arcadia rolled to a 23-12 record, setting the school record for wins along the way. The Knights earned the No. 2 seed for the conference championships and advanced to the finals for the first time in school history, while also qualifying for the ECAC Tournament.
The women's team show significant improvement in Porr's second season in 2016, posting an overall record of 16-14 and tying for fifth in the MAC Commonwealth standings. The Knights were selected for postseason play for the first time under Porr's leadership with a berth in the ECAC Division III Championship Tournament, with the Knights earning the No. 2 seed in their region.
Porr led the women's program to an overall record a 12-14 in his 2015, playing a significantly tougher schedule than the year prior and facing four NCAA tournament teams from the year prior. Freshman Elizabeth Joseph was named a Second-Team All-MAC Commonwealth selection following the season; she was the program's first all-conference selection as a member of the MAC Commonwealth, and its first since 2006 when Arcadia was a member of the former Pennsylvania Athletic Conference.
Porr arrived in Glenside after spending the 2013-14 academic year as assistant men’s volleyball coach at Division I George Mason University, where he helped lead a young Patriots’ squad to a berth in the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) tournament semifinals. Porr coached a pair of EIVA All-Conference selections, including the 2014 EIVA Rookie of the Year, as well as two EIVA All-Academic honorees. He assisted in all facets of the program, including budgeting, practice planning, travel planning, and video analysis, and served as the program’s recruiting coordinator.
The Denver, Pa., native started his collegiate coaching career as an assistant women’s volleyball coach at Division I Eastern Illinois University in 2011 before moving to a similar position at Division II Millersville University, where he helped lead the Marauders to their first conference tournament berth in six years. He coached a pair of All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference selections while at Millersville.
Porr has also held various assistant and head coaching roles at the club and high school levels since 2005, most recently guiding the Marshall High School (Falls Church, Va.) girls’ volleyball team to its first conference title in 2014. He led the Lancaster Mennonite High School boys’ volleyball team to an 18-5 record and a fifth-place finish in the PIAA state tournament 2013, with two players earning All-State honors. His Spooky Nook 17’s Elite Club, which was in its first year of existence, qualified for the USA National Championships in 2013.
A 2010 graduate of East Stroudsburg University with a bachelor’s degree in communications, Porr was a three-year member of the Warriors’ men’s volleyball program, and was elected team captain as a junior. He received the team’s Bob Sweeney Award for leadership in 2009.
Porr was an All-State selection at Cocalico High School (Denver, Pa.) his junior and senior years, and was the top vote-getter on his way to earning First-Team All-State honors in 2005. He started his coaching career after being named interim head coach at Elizabethown High school, where led the boys team to a fifth-place finish at the state championship tournament and landed two players on the All-State Team.
Porr remains an active competitor on the court, playing in various grass and sand doubles semi-pro tournaments during the summer months.
Updated 8/16/2021
