Lee Suarez (FS'90)

Lee made an indelible impact on Principia College athletics during her 37-year career as coach, athletics director, and professor. As head volleyball coach from 1971 to 1999, she led her teams to more than 300 wins. In 2022, her 1981 and 1982 volleyball teams were inducted into the Gold & Blue Athletic Hall of Fame. During her coaching tenure, she was named St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) Coach of the Year three times—twice for women’s volleyball and once for men’s golf. Additionally, she coached track and field, women’s basketball, and swimming. In 2013, Lee was inducted into the SLIAC Hall of Fame. In 2000, she became athletics director, overseeing the construction of the Coach Crafton Athletic Center and renovations of Hay Field House and founding Principia’s Gold & Blue Athletic Hall of Fame. Across all her roles at Principia, she was a vocal and determined advocate for women and women’s sports on campus.