Gabryel “Gabby” Ording was named the Head Women’s Volleyball Coach at the University of the Incarnate Word in January 2023, becoming the eighth head coach in program history. She joined UIW after spending three seasons as Associate Head Coach at Southland Conference foe Southeastern Louisiana University (SLU).
After finishing a game under .500 in year one, Ording led the Cardinals to back-to-back winning seasons in years two and three, going 17-11 in 2024 and 17-13 in 2025. The 17 wins were the most ever earned by a Cardinal team since joining the Division I ranks in 2013. UIW reached the Southland Conference Tournament semifinals in each season.
After winning a program record 10 SLC matches in 2024, Ording's Cardinals topped that mark in 2025, finishing with a record of 12-4. Setter Calissa Allison and hitter Kyla Malone were both first-team all-conference selections, with Allison earning first-team honors for the third year in a row. UIW also had the conference leader in hitting percentage in Kade Thomas (.342).
The 2024 season opened with 10 consecutive games played away from home, a stretch in which UIW went 7-3. The Cardinals eventually defeated UTRGV in four sets in the opening round of the conference tournament before falling to top-seeded Southeastern Louisiana in the semifinals. This was the first time the program reached the conference semifinals in three years.
In her first season leading the Cardinals, Ording guided the team to a 15-16 overall record—the most wins by a rookie Cardinal coach in the D-I era.
Ording also played a pivotal role in the development of freshman setter and team co-captain, Calissa Allison. Allison appeared in 27 matches, playing the fourth-most sets on the team (103). She led UIW in kills (276) and service aces (24), ranked second in assists (494) and digs (299), and added 33 blocks. Highlights of her standout freshman campaign included:
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A season-high 20 kills vs. UTRGV in the SLC Tournament quarterfinals
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31 assists vs. Abilene Christian (Sept. 6)
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18 digs vs. UTSA (Sept. 7)
Allison was named MVP of the UTSA Invitational, earned SLC Setter of the Week honors, and set both the UIW and Southland Conference single-season records for triple-doubles (11). She recorded the second-most triple-doubles by a freshman in NCAA history and capped the year as a First Team All-Southland Conference selection.
Before arriving at UIW, Ording was instrumental in SLU’s rise to prominence. She helped lead the Lions to two of their winningest seasons since 2002 and guided them to their first Southland Conference Championship and NCAA Tournament berth. She also recruited and developed several standout student-athletes, including 2021 Freshman All-Southland selection and AVCA South Region Player of the Year, Cicily Hidalgo.
Prior to her time at SLU, Ording served as an assistant coach at her alma mater, Louisiana Tech University, where she spent seven years overseeing strength and conditioning programs, nutrition plans, and practice itineraries.
As a student-athlete at Louisiana Tech (2008–2012), Ording excelled as a middle and right-side hitter. She helped the Bulldogs achieve their most conference wins since 2002 and compete in four consecutive Western Athletic Conference Tournaments.
