GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The University of North Dakota and head volleyball coach Jesse Tupac announced the hiring of Cassidy (Cassie) Baird to his staff as the newest Fighting Hawks Director of Volleyball Operations on Thursday.

Cassie Baird is a former two-time All-Summit League Honoree, a four-time Summit League Regular Season and Tournament Champion and has spent the four years since her graduation playing professional volleyball in Switzerland, Portugal, Austria and Finland. Baird played as an Outside Hitter at the University of Denver from 2014-2017 and was a member of the first ranked recruiting class in Denver Volleyball History. Her class lived up to the hype, becoming the first class at Denver to win four consecutive Summit League regular season and tournament championships and making 4 consecutive NCAA Division I tournament appearances. During those four years, Baird appeared in 394 sets for the Pioneers, and was named All-Summit League Honorable Mention in 2015 and 2017, as well as being named to the Summit League All-Academic Team in 2017. Baird was a standout statistically as well; leading Denver in Aces in both 2015 and 2017, ranking 51^st and 82^nd Nationally for those two seasons.

"I would like to thank Jesse Tupac, Kara Helmig, and Bill Chaves for this amazing opportunity to join the Fighting Hawks family. I am excited and incredibly grateful to be joining Coach Tupac's staff and the athletic department at the University North Dakota," said Baird. "I was lucky enough to be coached by Jesse and Kristen during my time at Denver, and from firsthand experience, I know what an impact they can have on student-athletes; not just on the court, but also as human beings. I am looking forward to joining the staff and helping develop the volleyball program at UND into a perennial Summit League Championship contender and NCAA tournament team. I cannot wait to get started."

Since her time in the NCAA ranks, Baird has travelled the world as a professional volleyball player, competing in four different countries and professional leagues. From 2018-2019, in her first professional season overseas, she played for VBC Cheseaux in Switzerland; being named a captain for her team, garnering five match MVP awards, and leading the team in scoring on route to a 5^th place finish in the NLA. Following that season, Baird played the 2019-2020 season for Leixões Sport Club in Portugal, again being named team captain and helping lead the team to a Silver Medal in the Portuguese Super Cup. From 2020-2021, Baird was named captain in her third professional season for VKKP Brno in the Austrian Professional League; unfortunately, her season was cut short due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Currently, Cassie is playing her final professional season in Finland for LP Vampula, where she has again been named team captain, been honored seven times as match MVP and was recently named January Player of the Month for the Finnish Professional League.

Baird has collected a myriad of coaching experiences during her career as well.  Getting her start coaching youth club volleyball with CVA (Colorado Volleyball Association) working primarily with the 18's age group. Baird has also coached volleyball camps at the University of Denver, Stanford University and with All-American Volleyball Camps. 
Of Baird, Coach Tupac said:

"Cassie is a rockstar of a person and player, and I am so excited to have her joining our program here at North Dakota. She absolutely knows what it takes to win the Summit League and has had experiences at the highest levels of our sport playing professionally overseas. I had the pleasure of coaching her at the University of Denver and know firsthand how deeply she devotes herself to learning and growing, as well as helping those around her to succeed. She was ruthlessly efficient as a player and has a similar mentality when approaching work and life; leaving no doubt as to why she has had the success she has had in every venture she has pursued. Most importantly, Cassie has an uncanny ability to empathize and connect with everyone that crosses her path. Our program is lucky to have an individual of her quality and experience joining us, and we can't wait for her to arrive in Grand Forks!"

Baird will be rejoining the Summit League on staff at North Dakota starting in April after the completion of her professional season overseas. She comes from a family with a strong athletic background. Aside from her collegiate and professional accolades, Cassie was a three-time First Team All-State player in Indiana in High School, a two-time Indianapolis Star Super Team member, three-time Conference Indiana Champion, and two-time Marion County and Sectional Champions; she was also the 2014 Marion County Female Athlete of the Year, and finished third for the Indiana Sportswoman of the year in 2014. Her sister is currently an All-American and National Champion Outside Hitter for the Stanford Women's Volleyball Team, her brother played collegiate baseball at Belmont, her father played collegiate baseball at Walsh University, and her mother remains one of the top all-time scorers for the Butler women's basketball program.

Accomplishments:

• Baird was a four-year letter winner (2014-2017) and two-time All-Summit League Honorable Mention Honoree (2015 and 2017) for the University of Denver.
• Played in 394 sets in four years for DU, leading the team in Aces in 2015 (41, ranked 51^st in the country) and 2017 (33, ranked 82^nd in the country).
• Named to the Summit League All-Academic Team in 2017, graduating with a degree in Business.
• UTA Maverick College Classic All-Tournament Team 2014.
• Pioneer Classic Tournament MVP 2015.
• College of Charleston Hampton Inn and Suites Classic All-Tournament Team 2017.
• Was a member of the 2014 recruiting class for Denver that was the program's first ever ranked recruiting class.
• Baird was a member of the first class in Denver volleyball history to win four consecutive regular season and Summit League Tournament titles to advance to 4 NCAA Division I tournaments.
• The 2017 NCAA tournament appearance for Denver saw DU as a three seed in their NCAA pod for the first time in school history.
• As a prep player, Baird was a four year letter winner, three-time unanimous 1^st team All-State, three-time All-Marion County, 2010 and 2013 Sectional Champion, 2011 and 2012 Marion County Champion, three-time Conference Indiana Champion, a 2013 Academic All-State honoree, the 2014 Marion County Female Athlete of the Year, and finished third for the Indiana Sportswoman of the Year award in 2014.  Baird played club volleyball for Circle City in Indianapolis and finished third, winning a Bronze Medal, in the 18 Open division of USAV Nationals in 2014.
• Baird played four seasons of professional volleyball in Europe, competing in: Switzerland, Portugal, Austria, and Finland.
• 2018-2019 played for VBC Cheseaux in Switzerland. Named Captain for the season and was match MVP five times.  Was the Top Scorer for the team and finished fifth in the NLA.
• 2019-2020 played for Leixões Sport Club in Portugal.  Named Captain for the season and helped lead her squad to a Silver Medal in the Portuguese Super Cup.
• 2020-2021 played for VKKP Brno in Austria.  Was named Captain before the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
• 2021-2022 playing currently for LP Vampula in Finland.  Has been named a team Captain and honored as Match MVP seven times, as well as being named January Player of the Month.