Kolaga joined the women's rowing staff staff as a graduate assistant for the 2025-26 season. She joins the program after a standout career as a coxswain at UMass.
"I chose JU because I am excited to be a part of the unbeatable culture and contribute to another dominant MAAC performance," Kolaga said. "Head Coach
Mike Lane's success in college rowing precedes him and I look forward to learning from him."
Kolaga joins the Dolphins for the program's 50th season on the water as they look for their 10th MAAC title in program history.
"I am fired up to have Ali joining us as our Graduate Assistant Rowing Coach," Dolphins head coach
Mike Lane said. "Very early on she stood out as an exceptional choice, both because of her experience as the varsity coxswain at UMass, but also her confidence in knowing the rowing stroke and leading a crew."
Kolaga was an accomplished coxswain in college, anchoring crews for the Minutemen since 2021. She earned second-team All-Atlantic 10 honors in 2025 and first-team all-league honors in 2024. She was also routinely acclaimed for her leadership as a student-athlete, being nominated for UMass's Excellence in Leadership award on multiple occasions.
Her crews found plenty of success in the water. She finished third at the A10 Championships with the Varsity 8+ in 2024 and earned seventh at the Head of the Charles with that same crew earlier that season.
She also excelled at the club level, leading Riverside Boat Club to a second place finish in the U23 8+ and a win in the Masters 4+ at the Royal Canadian Henley in 2023.
Despite all of her commitments in the water, she's also already built out an impressive coaching resume that she brings to Jacksonville. She interned with the USRowing U19 Development camp, helping to develop the coxswain curriculum and work individually with young athletes skill development.
She also worked with the Advanced Rowing Initiative of the Northeast, working with US Olympic hopefuls and learning from Olympic coaches.
