Ayla Guzzardo returns for her second season with the Zips coaching staff after spending last year as a graduate assistant. She also spent her final two collegiate seasons as a member of the team.

"I am thrilled to promote Ayla to assistant coach," said Coach Kest. "Her familiarity with our program and the conference is a great asset to have on our staff. Ayla was an extremely passionate, enthusiastic and hard-working player. I have great confidence that she will bring those characteristics to our coaching staff."

The Hammond, La., native appeared in every game of her UA career, starting all of them in her senior season. She notched 133 assists in 2009-10, which ranks fourth all-time in program history. Her 238 career assists also put her eighth all-time in the record books.

In the Mid-American Conference, Guzzardo finished third in assists per game (4.2), fifth for assists/turnover ratio (1.3) and 15th in steals per game (1.7). Also during her senior season, she served as a team captain and was the recipient of the Coaches' Award. She helped lead the team to the Zips' second-ever MAC Tournament semifinals appearance and a postseason appearance in the Women's Basketball Invitational.

Prior to playing at Akron, Guzzardo was a student-athlete at Shelton State Community College in Tuscaloosa, Ala. and a member of the 7th-ranked junior college team in the nation in 2007-08. The squad won two conference championships with Guzzardo on the roster and she posted a career record of 62-9 as the starting point guard.

In 2010, Guzzardo completed her undergraduate degree in Business Organization and is currently pursuing a Master's in Sports Science and Coaching.