Erin Fairs

Biography

Erin Fairs returned to Rice as an assistant coach in February of 2025. This marks Fairs’ second stint on the Rice coaching staff, first coaching as a volunteer assistant in 2020. Fairs joins the staff following her retirement from professional volleyball. Most recently, Fairs played for Athletes Unlimited Professional Volleyball and served on the Athletes Unlimited Executive Board. Fairs signed her first professional contract with Engelholms in the Swedish league and went on to win the 2015-16 Elitserien (Swedish volleyball women’s championships). Afterwards, she would go on to play in Turkey (Maltepe Yali SK), Puerto Rico (Polluelas de Aibonito) and Romania (CSM Targoviste). After finishing the 2017-18 season in Romania, Fairs was a member of “Team Dream,” which won the USA Adult Open National Championship. The squad was the first ever all-African American team to compete in the women’s open division at the event. She then signed to play volleyball in Italy with Omag San Giovanni in Marignano before playing with Aris Thessloniki in Greece. She would conclude her international playing days in 2021 when she returned to Puerto Rico, this time playing for Valencianas de Juncos. Fairs’ final season of college volleyball was spent at Louisville, where she was named an AVCA Honorable Mention All-American, leading the Cardinals in kills (424) and solo blocks (19). She was an ACC All-Preseason pick and had 5 matches with 20 or more kills. She scored double digit points in all but thr