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Swarthmore College Athletics

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OFFICIAL ATHLETICS SITE OF  THE SWARTHMORE COLLEGE GARNET

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Harleigh Chwastyk

  • Title
    Interim Director of Athletics, Physical Education, and Recreation
  • Email
    hchwast1@swarthmore.edu
  • Phone
    610-328-8217
  • First Year At Swarthmore
    2002-03

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Coached at Swarthmore from 2002-2026
  • Reached NCAA National Quarterfinals in 2017
  • Highest national ranking #18 (11/22/2017)
  • Career record of 375-275 (.577 win percentage)
  • 4-time Centennial Conference Coach of the Year: 2009, 2010, 2014, 2022
  • 11 consecutive Centennial Conference postseasons
  • Played volleyball and basketball collegiately at Trinity (Conn.)

Harleigh Chwastyk has served the Swarthmore College community since 2002 as a faculty member in physical education, coach, mentor, and campus leader. She was named Interim Director of Athletics, Physical Education, and Recreation June of 2026.


Chwastyk brings nearly 25 years of experience as an educator, coach, mentor, administrator, and active participant in the College community. In addition to her work leading one of Swarthmore’s varsity programs, Chwastyk has served as coordinator of the Physical Education program within the Athletics Department and, as an instructor, introduced Pilates and Orienteering classes to the student body. Her work in physical education reflects a commitment to wellness, movement, lifelong activity, and the broader educational mission of the College.


At Swarthmore, Chwastyk’s committee work on campus has been extensive. She has served on numerous campus committees and groups, including the Committee on Faculty Procedures, the Swarthmore Coalition on Well-Being, the Faculty Committee on Diversity and Excellence, the Faculty Committee on Child Care, the Swarthmore Coalition on Well-being, the Physical Education & Athletics Advisory Committee, and the Swarthmore Forward Working Group focused on leadership in a multiracial democracy and the world. Her departmental service has also included work on the steering committee for the Physical Education & Athletics department review, the Swarthmore Foundation and the Garnet Hall of Fame Nominating Committee.


Chwastyk has also been active in leadership roles across the Centennial Conference and the broader Division III athletics community. She has served as the chair of the Centennial Conference volleyball coaches’ committee and represented the 11-member conference in several areas, including NCAA Regional Advisory committee, ECAC championship selection, the AVCA national poll, and the American Volleyball Coaches Association Division III All-America Awards committee. An ardent believer in community, education, and service, Chwastyk was the co-director of the Snell-Shillingford Coaching Symposium, an opportunity for undergraduate female student-athletes to explore career and leadership opportunities in athletics.


Prior to being named interim director, the Swarthmore volleyball program had been under Chwastyk’s direction since 2002. During that time, she built one of the most successful programs in school history, guiding the Garnet to more than 350 victories, 15 Centennial Conference postseason appearances, including 10 consecutive conference postseason berths, eight consecutive ECAC Tournament appearances, and ECAC championship titles in 2015 and 2016. The Garnet advanced as far as the NCAA Elite Eight in 2017. Ranked as high as No. 18 nationally that year, Swarthmore captured the Mid-Atlantic Regional championship with wins over Randolph-Macon, nationally ranked Carnegie Mellon, and Johns Hopkins. The Garnet made another NCAA Tournament appearance in 2022.


Chwastyk reached the 200-win mark early in the 2015 season and recorded her 300th career victory in 2021. She holds the most volleyball coaching wins in school history and ranks among the winningest coaches in Centennial Conference history. Her peers within the conference have recognized her by naming her Centennial Conference Coach of the Year four times.


Under Chwastyk’s leadership, Swarthmore consistently raised the competitive standard for the program. The 2012 season was highlighted by a program-first win over a nationally ranked opponent, No. 10 Eastern University, and the Garnet received votes in the AVCA Top 25 national poll. Her teams set new program marks for conference finish, postseason success, national recognition, and sustained competitive achievement.


Through dedicated recruiting efforts, Chwastyk brought student-athletes to Swarthmore from across the United States and around the globe. Forty-six of her players have earned All-Centennial Conference honors, and three — Sarah Wallace ’18, Emma Morgan-Bennett ’20, and Mehra den Braven ’20 — earned All-America recognition. The 2015 season marked the first time three Garnet players — Sam DuBois ’16, Sarah Girard ’19, and Wallace — were All-Centennial First Team selections in the same season. One of Chwastyk’s student-athletes was also named a finalist for the 2020 NCAA Woman of the Year Award.


The student-athletes in Chwastyk’s program have also responded in a demanding academic setting. Under her leadership, Swarthmore volleyball has earned 19 American Volleyball Coaches Association Team Academic Awards, and more than 130 student-athletes have been recognized on the All-Centennial Academic Honor Roll. Her teams have also produced multiple CoSIDA/CSC Academic All-District selections, one Academic All-American, and numerous PhillySIDA Academic All-Area honorees.


Prior to Swarthmore, Chwastyk was an assistant coach at Smith College from 2000-02 while she completed a Master of Science degree in Exercise and Sport Studies. Her coaching experience also extends into the local community including work with Rock Volleyball and East Coast Power Volleyball Clubs, Rutledge Girls Club, Swarthmore Recreation Association (SRA), Nether Baseball, Ridley ABA and summer camp leadership through Garnet Volleyball Camps and the Cape Cod Volleyball Camp.


Chwastyk’s collegiate playing career saw her serve as the two-year captain of the Trinity College volleyball team, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history in 2000. An All-NESCAC performer in 1999, Chwastyk still holds three blocking records at Trinity. A two-sport athlete, Chwastyk was also a forward on the Bantams’ women’s basketball team that captured the ECAC New England Championship in 2000.


Chwastyk resides in nearby Rutledge, Pennsylvania, with her children, Logan and Calleigh.
 
Overall Conference
Team Year W L Win % W L Win % Postseason
Swarthmore 2002 5 21 .192 1 9 .100
Swarthmore 2003 14 18 .438 5 5 .500
Swarthmore 2004 9 18 .333 2 8 .200
Swarthmore 2005 13 15 .464 6 4 .600 Centennial First Round
Swarthmore 2006 12 13 .480 3 7 .300
Swarthmore 2007 9 18 .333 4 6 .400
Swarthmore 2008 6 19 .240 2 8 .200
Swarthmore 2009 19 11 .633 6 4 .600 Centennial Semifinals; ECAC Quarterfinals
Swarthmore 2010 20 12 .625 7 3 .700 Centennial Runner-Up; ECAC Semifinals
Swarthmore 2011 24 8 .750 7 3 .700 Centennial First Round; ECAC Semifinals
Swarthmore 2012 20 7 .741 8 2 .800 Centennial Semifinals; ECAC Semifinals
Swarthmore 2013 17 14 .548 3 7 .300 ECAC Semifinals
Swarthmore 2014 24 8 .750 9 1 .900 Centennial Semifinals; ECAC Semifinals
Swarthmore 2015 22 9 .710 8 2 .800 Centennial Semifinals; ECAC Champions
Swarthmore 2016 27 5 .844 8 2 .800 Centennial Runner-Up; ECAC Champions
Swarthmore 2017 24 8 .750 8 2 .800 Centennial Runner-Up; NCAA Elite Eight
Swarthmore 2018 14 10 .583 7 3 .700 Centennial Semifinals
Swarthmore 2019 16 12 .571 6 4 .600 Centennial Semifinals
Swarthmore 2021 13 8 .619 8 2 .800 Centennial Semifinals
Swarthmore 2022 17 9 .654 9 1 .900 Centennial Semifinals; NCAA First Round
Swarthmore 2023 16 10 .615 8 2 .800 Centennial Semifinals
Swarthmore 2024 17 10 .630 8 2 .800 Centennial Runner-Up
Swarthmore 2025 17 12 .586 7 3 .700 Centennial First Round
Total 23 seasons 375 275 .577 140 90 .609