Brooke Stanley - MIT
Brooke Stanley begins her first season on head coach Paul Dill's staff during the 2024 season. In addition to coaching, her primary responsibilities will include recruiting and opponent scouting.
Stanley comes to Cambridge following an historical season during her first year as an assistant coach at the University of Mary Washington. During the 2023 campaign, she helped guide the Eagles to the program's best start (12-0), best overall record (27-3), and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. In addition, Stanley received Coast-to-Coast (C2C) Coaching Staff of the Year accolades. She also coached for multiple clubs and high schools in the Northern Virginia area, including Virginia Volleyball Academy and 540 Volleyball Academy, where she achieved numerous accolades as a head coach.
Stanley was a member of the volleyball teams at Winthrop University and Christopher Newport University, where she contributed to a Capital Athletic Conference (currently the C2C) championship in 2017. She went on to graduate from George Mason University in 2021 with a bachelor's degree in tourism and events management and is currently pursuing a master's degree in sports management with a concentration in high-performance coaching from the University of Florida.
Annika Stephens - South Dakota School of Mines
After volunteering as an assistant for two seasons, Annika Stephens was named the lead assistant coach on March 4, 2022.
In 2023, Stephens helped guide the Hardrockers to its best Division II season in history, winning 18 games, qualifying for the RMAC playoffs, hosting a Playoff game and advancing to the semifinals, all first for the program.
Alessandra Meoni became the second All-American in Division II program in 2023 under Stephens guidance.
In two seasons, Stephens has helped guide 8 players to earn all-conference honors, with Ivy Vinidich earning RMAC Freshman of the year in 2023, while Jacey Koethe became the first ever All-RMAC First team selection in 2022.
Stephens played volleyball at Dakota State University, earning her bachelor’s degree in business administration (2016).
Melissa Blessington - Ottawa
Blessington is in her 11th season as head coach of the Ottawa University women's volleyball program. She was named Director of Men's and Women's Volleyball Operations in the winter of 2016. Blessington has an overall record of 267-109 and a KCAC record of 149-18.
Blessington has been named KCAC Coach of the Year five times, and has led OU to six KCAC Regular Season Championships, seven KCAC Tournament Championships, eight NAIA National Tournament Appearances, and five NAIA Final Site appearances. She has coached 13 NAIA All-Americans, 17 AVCA All-Region selections, 56 All-KCAC performers, three KCAC Players of the Year, six KCAC Setters of the Year, one KCAC Libero of the Year and one KCAC Freshman of the Year.
Harleigh Chawstyk - Swarthmore
The Swarthmore volleyball program has been under the direction of Harleigh (Leach) Chwastyk since 2002, and she has guided the program to a record of 341-253 during that time. Swarthmore has qualified for the Centennial Conference postseason 14 times, including each of the past nine seasons. Swarthmore appeared in eight consecutive ECAC tournaments and won the championship matches in 2015 and 2016.
The Garnet have advanced as far as the NCAA Elite Eight in 2017. The Garnet, ranked as high as No. 18 nationally that year, took home the regional crown with wins over Randolph-Macon and nationally-ranked Carnegie Mellon and Johns Hopkins. Swarthmore made another NCAA Tournament appearance in 2022.
Coach Chwastyk reached the 200-win mark early in the 2015 season followed by #300 in 2021. She has the most in school history, and the fourth-most wins in the Centennial Conference. The 2012 season was highlighted by a program-first win over a nationally-ranked opponent, No. 10 Eastern University, and received votes in the AVCA top 25 national poll. Chwastyk’s charges set new program watermarks for best conference finish and five postseason ECAC tournament appearances. Her peers within the conference recognized Chwastyk by naming her the Centennial Coach of the Year in consecutive seasons (2009, 2010) and again in 2014.
Jonathan Scott - Point Loma
Jonathan Scott completed his 10th year at the helm of the Point Loma women's volleyball program in 2023, leading the team to its most successful season in the program's NCAA era.
In 2023, Scott's Sea Lions won their first-ever PacWest championship, while setting a new NCAA-era program record for wins (21) and making a second-ever NCAA West Regional appearance. The team's 16-0 start to PacWest play was also the best in program history
.PLNU's first PacWest title came off the heels of a second-place PacWest finish in 2022, which was the program's best at the time. That year, the Sea Lions also ranked second in NCAA Division II in blocks/set (2.61).
During his 10 seasons, Scott has led the Sea Lions to a 157-106 record. Scott took the Sea Lions' volleyball program to its first-ever NCAA West Regional appearance in 2015.
