Hall of Fame Spotlight: Alma Kovaci Lee

One of the most highly decorated women's volleyball players in Temple University history, Alma Kovaci Lee earned Asics All-American honors in 1999 and 2000.

The two-year team captain also earned AVCA All-District honors three times while helping lead Temple to three consecutive Atlantic 10 Conference championships and three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances (1997-99).

Twice named the Atlantic 10's Most Valuable Player, the three-time first-team conference selection also earned the conference's Rookie of the Year award in 1997. On the career charts at the time, she ranks second in kills (2,046), graduating just 18 kills shy of the all-time record, second in hitting attempts (4,724), and second in digs (1,632), holding the school record until the libero position was introduced at the collegiate level in 2002.

She was drafted into the United States Professional Volleyball League during its inaugural 2002 season. While playing for Grand Rapids, Kovaci was named Player of the Match against Chicago during the season and ranked third in digs per game in the professional league. Following graduation, Kovaci joined the coaching ranks, but remained active on the court as a member of the Albanian National Team and competed in the 2005 FIVB World Championships. As the head women's volleyball coach at Army West Point, the Tirana, Albania native has been named the Patriot League Coach of the Year twice while guiding her program to over 300 wins in her 15 seasons at the helm.

In 2022, Kovaci Lee was recognized by the Patriot League as a Trailblazer of Distinction. The award was created to identify and honor individual women and memorable teams for contributions to their respective athletics departments, campuses and society at large. The Trailblazers of Distinction were selected in concurrence with the Patriot League's yearlong celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Title IX. In 2009, she was received the Coach K Award, named in honor of West Point graduate and Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski. The Coach K award stands for teaching character through sport.

Her and her husband, LTC Rance Lee, the Director of Admissions at the U.S. Military Academy, have two children, a six-year-old daughter Amara and two-year-old son Laurance.

Talk about your recruitment and why you chose to attend Temple?
"It was interesting as Coach Bob Bertucci found me through a video tape from an Albanian friend of the school who was living in New York. Bob was recruiting someone else on the tape and he liked her, but asked who is that girl, meaning me.

This was in 1996 and it was at that time our club team from Albania came to the states and played at Queens College in New York.   That was the first time I had been to the United States. I was still in high school, and I had never thought of coming this far (for school). I wanted to continue to play, but closer to home. Once I played in this tournament, I received more interest from schools in the United States and then Coach Bertucci reached out as well so I decided to look at this opportunity.

At the time, Albania was a third world country with a lot of civil unrest going on. So, I told my parents I wanted to learn English and they provided me with their savings to help me do it. I went to get my Visa at the embassy where I was lucky that I was one of like five people to get one during that tumultuous time. So, I came home and then it hit my dad, who was always at all my practices and matches, that I was actually going to the United States for school.

As for my choice in schools, long story, but I ended up choosing Temple because I connected with Coach Bertucci and assistant coach Gilad Doron and his wife Jennifer. I remember them sending me the RPI rankings and Temple was highly ranked. It was between Temple and American, but Temple had exercise science as a major which I was very interested.   Two of my teammates went to American University so it was nice as the three of us were able to come to the States."

How was your adjustment to college life and Philadelphia?
"I remember Coach Gilad and his wife were waiting for me at the airport in Philadelphia. I was coming out of the airport, and I panicked, thinking what did I just do?

So, I get on campus and the team has already starting practicing as I was delayed arriving due to our country's civil war. I then realized that the English language I learned was not the same as what people were speaking here. So, I had a hard time understanding and the culture differences were also tough for me at first. I would miss meals and other stuff because I was struggling to understand.

Finally, we had a girl from Israel (Bulgarian decent) who helped me through some of the culture and language barrier issues I was having. Thankfully Temple also had a great support group of people that helped make things easier for me to adjust, as well as my teammates, like Sharia Bryant, Kobe Bryant's sister, who spoke fluent Italian, and so did I, which really was a great help.

I remember talking to my mom on the phone my first semester and telling her how hard it was to adjust to life here. She just reminded me that I wanted to leave but if I wanted to come home that was fine. That settled me down and helped me decide to stick it out.

One person who really helped me through everything was our team manager, Owen Reilly. I will never forget him, as having him in my life at that time was amazing. He is like a big brother to me now.   He helped me adjust to life and was also in the same class as me. He helped me understand how stuff worked in this country. I was so appreciative of that."

Talk about your playing days at Temple. Three straight NCAA Tournaments and Most Outstanding Player as a junior? What stands out now when you look back?
"Volleyball is volleyball. The passion I have for the sport of volleyball has been incredible ever since I was little. It also gave me a sense of responsibility since it opened so many doors. Playing volleyball at Temple was where I was able to enjoy life and have fun. Those two or three hours a day of practice, where I could forget about everything and just have fun with the game were the best. It was a sense of relief from everything else that was going on.

When you come from a third world country like Albania, when we would wait for the lights to come on, or when we would be warming up with jackets on because the windows were all broken and it was winter, you appreciate an environment where you have everything. I had an athletic trainer at Temple. We always had lights and it was warm. It was enjoyable as this environment had all the things I did not have at home.   The only thing I missed was seeing my dad in the stands.

As for things standing out from my playing days, I remember my first year when I was the A10 Rookie of the Year. I did not start for half of the season. I was out of shape because I came in late, and I had to prove myself. Then the opportunity came in the middle of the season and the coach just threw me in (the match). I told myself, ok, I am doing this.   From that point I never left the court.

I came in with some good seniors and that year we started to get really good. The seniors were appreciative of the freshmen coming in to help the team succeed.   So that championship season was so special, giving those seniors their championship was the best moment for me. Seeing their happiness and tears made me so happy." Temple Volleyball gave me some of my best friends for life. Christine Happel, Yamit Haba, Marcia Lissy, Raluca Olteanu, Akiko Hatakeyama and more. No matter the distance, we still remain close and in each other lives."

Talk about your professional career, playing in the United States Professional Volleyball League with the Grand Rapids Force during its inaugural season in 2002.
"It was incredible. I was working at a fitness center the spring of my senior year after the volleyball season was over. I was practicing a little with the team as I knew I wanted to play professionally. I remember Coach Bertucci calling me and asking if I was going to tryout for the league as the tryouts were in Chicago. So, I flew there to compete in an open tryout. There were 160 women there and I was number 160 when I signed up. I remember hitting a ball during the tryouts so hard that it got the coach's attention.   So, he tells me to go to the outside and I start scoring from the left and the right. It was pretty interesting and once we were done, they let us know who made it by looking at a sheet of paper and I made it.   So, 160 players tried out, and I was one of only 10 to make it.

I received a letter at Temple a couple of days later congratulating me on making one of the teams. Only bad thing was that they started while I was finishing up school. My exercise science professor, Dr. Bill Oddu really helped me. He worked with me to complete my internship while I was with my team.   We practiced in Grand Rapids and at the gym, after practice, I would make workout programs and coach gym members. I made some great connections, and those wonderful clients came to every game to support me and the team. My teammates were the best. Most of them are coaching now, Jenn Flynn at Ohio State, Dawn Sullivan at Missouri, Ladi Iya at Rochester and my best friend, professional and Temple teammate, Akiko Hatakeyama at Syracuse."

You also represented your country at the FIVB World Championships in Sheffield, England in 2006. How was that experience?
"It was incredible. I had missed representing my country, as I was coaching at this time and had been away for a few years. I actually cried during the first national anthem at the games. We played England and Serbia. I really enjoyed it and was lucky to represent my country." I was very grateful of my coaches back home for the invitation to play and the fact that they didn't forget about me."

Finally, talk about your current career as the head coach at Army West Point. When did you first contemplate coaching and how has your career been?
"After the professional league folded, I was looking for what was next for me.   I had been living in suitcases for quite some time. This is where my Temple connections helped me. Bob Bertucci had started the volleyball program at West Point in 1979. That was the first season they had volleyball at the academy, and he actually coached the team. So, when I applied the head coach at Army called Bob and asked about me. Bob then called me and prepared me for the interview.

I then talked to the head coach, Glen Conley, and we really connected. He is an amazing person, and we are still friends to this day. I then went to West Point and fell in love with it. The team was awesome. They played volleyball, but it was not their identity. The players wanted to compete and win championships, but they also want to be doctors, lawyers, engineers and of course serve their country. These were athletes who really loved the sport.

I took the position. I was an assistant for four years until Coach Conley took a job closer to his mother who was sick. I was literally hired as the head coach on the spot. I was surprised as I was just 27, but the administration was confident in me as were my athletes. Coach Conley offered me a position at his new school that paid more money, but at the time we did not have any female head coaches at West Point. I felt like I needed to stay here and step up and do it. Once again, wonderful mentors like General (R) Cindy Jebb took me under her wing and help me understand and navigate the military aspect as a new head coach.

I am thankful for all the people who have been by my side along this wonderful journey. It hasn't been easy but it has been worth it. I feel like I still have so much to give back to the sport and the people who love this sport. The best is yet to come."

Temple University Athletics

Hall of Fame Spotlight: Alma Kovaci Lee

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