Wheeling, W. Va. - After playing a successful five-year career as a member of the Wheeling University Volleyball team, Karly Niesen joined Head Volleyball Coach Christy Benner's staff as a Graduate Assistant in January of 2025. During that time, she has worked with the team's setters and has played a big role in the gameplan and strategy for the Cardinals on the court. The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) released their newest class of Coaches 4 Coaches Scholarship recipients, and Niesen was one of 16 assistant coaches across all three levels of the NCAA to be honored.
"I am extremely excited for this opportunity to attend this year's convention as a Coaches 4 Coaches Scholarship Recipient," said Niesen. "I can't wait to take this time and learn from some of the best coaches with my fellow recipients. I want to thank the AVCA, as well as Christy Benner for her amazing recommendation and this once in a lifetime opportunity."
The Coaches 4 Coaches Scholarship helps to cover registration and hotel costs to bring a group of 16 up-and-coming volleyball coaches to their first AVCA Convention. This year's convention will take place from December 17th – 21st in Kansas City, Missouri as some of the best coaches from across college Volleyball will be in attendance. The 16 recipients will have the opportunity to network with successful coaches from all levels of the NCAA, and take part in a diverse group of educational opportunities that make this an annual can't miss event. In order to be eligible, applicants must be an active AVCA member who has never attended the AVCA convention before.
During her playing career, Niesen served as the Cardinal's #1 setter over her five years, amassing several accolades. She was a two-time Mountain East Conference (MEC) Player of the Year award winner, while earning five All-MEC awards, with three of those being First Team Honors. She is also a four-time All-Region honoree in both the AVCA and the Conference Commissioner's Association (D2CCA) and a three-time AVCA All-American Award winner. She holds the program's all-time assist record with 6,254 across her five seasons and is the 22nd setter in NCAA DII history to reach the 6,000 career assist mark.
"Beyond her statistics and accolades, Karly's true strength lies in her ability to lead and elevate those around her," said Wheeling University Head Volleyball Coach Christy Benner. "She is a natural leader who balances high standards with encouragement, making her both a respected teammate and emerging coach. In her current role as Graduate Assistant, Karly has already shown great promise as a teacher and mentor. Her dedication to player development, recruiting, and the behind-the-scenes demand of coaching demonstrates that she if fully invested in the profession and has the skills to thrive long term."
These scholarships, sponsored by the AVCA, are funded through the generous contributions of AVCA-member coaches and other advocates for up-and-coming coaches, including the AAU, which hosts a social event at the AVCA Convention benefitting the fund. Those wishing to donate to the Coaches 4 Coaches program can do so by clicking HERE.
The Wheeling University Volleyball team returns to action on Tuesday, November 11th, when they hit the road to face Salem with first serve at 7 PM.
