Campbell, Holmes Tabbed Assistant Coaches for Wolfpack Volleyball

RALEIGH, N.C. – New NC State volleyball head coach Linda Hampton-Keith announced on Monday that Kevin Campbell and Nicki Holmes have joined the Wolfpack coaching staff as assistant coaches.

"I want to thank our administration for its commitment to our program, which allowed us to attract two top-level coaches to join the Wolfpack," said Hampton-Keith. "Our student-athletes are extremely fortunate to have these highly-experienced coaches who can immediately impact our program towards the goal to compete in the postseason and to win ACC Championships."

The duo brings extensive Division I coaching experience to Raleigh, as both have experience as head coaches, as well as high-level experience as assistants.

Campbell comes to NC State following a two-year stint as associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at San Diego State. She worked with the Aztecs' middle blockers and defensive systems, while also overseeing the program's recruiting efforts. Under her direction, a middle blocker and right side hitter claimed all-conference honors in 2015.

Prior to her time at SDSU, Campbell was an assistant coach at Colorado during the 2013 season. She helped the Buffaloes reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2006 and record its highest finish since that same year, after wining its first-round matchup. Campbell helped Colorado garner an all-region performer, as well as two all-conference players.

From 2007-2011, the Omaha, Neb., native served as the head coach at the University of North Florida. Campbell assisted in the program's transition from Division II to Division I. The Ospreys advanced to the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament in each of the first two seasons they were eligible, 2010 and 2011. She coached the 2009 A-SUN Freshman of the Year, in addition to three all-freshman team selections and two all-conference honorees.

Campbell has also been an assistant coach at Georgia, Ohio, Winthrop and most notably perennial powerhouse Penn State. The Nittany Lions won the Big Ten in both of her seasons with the program (2005 and 2006), advancing to the regional finals (Elite Eight) in 2006 and regional semifinals (Sweet 16) in 2005.

She served as the recruiting coordinator, oversaw match preparation and opponent scouting in her two seasons in University Park, Pa. Penn State compiled a 31-3 record in 2005 and 32-3 mark in 2006. Campbell assisted in the recruitment of Megan Hoge, a 2012 Olympian and 2009 AVCA National Player of the Year, to Penn State.

No stranger to the state of North Carolina, Campbell was an assistant coach at Charlotte for five seasons. While in Charlotte, she founded the Charlotte Elite Volleyball Club and was responsible for all aspects of the organization.
She also worked as a coach, instructor and recruiting specialist for Bring It USA, a team of recent college graduates who are looking to play professionally in the European League.

Campbell was an outside hitter at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, recording more than 1,000 career kills. She earned all-conference honors two seasons and was an all-region selection, in addition to claiming an all-conference academic accolade.

She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in history from UNO and earned a Master's degree in Educational Leadership with a concentration in Sport Administration from North Florida.

What They're Saying About Campbell…
Russ Rose, Seven-time National Champion Head Coach at Penn State
"Linda and NC State made a great hire in Kevin Maureen Campbell. In her time working with me at Penn State, I witnessed her skills as a tireless recruiter, an excellent trainer, and someone that was always seeking advice and mentorship in order to develop and grow as a coach. As long as I've known Kevin, her mission has always been to empower young women and help them navigate their college careers in order to succeed in volleyball and in life. NC State is fortunate to have a woman of such integrity working with their volleyball athletes."

Linda Hampton-Keith, NC State Volleyball Head Coach
"Kevin comes to us with a wealth of high-level experiences. We met years ago at an NCAA Women's Coaches Academy and quickly learned that we share the same values and passion about the coaching profession and our roles in our student-athletes lives. Our team will quickly grow to love and appreciate Kevin for her tireless efforts to make them better on and off the court. Kevin also brings a highly touted recruiting resume that will immediately impact our program as we attract the nation's best recruits to compete in the strong ACC. I'm excited to have a coach and person of Kevin's caliber on our staff. "

Holmes joins the Wolfpack following two seasons as the head coach at North Carolina Central University in Durham. While with the Eagles, he coached an all-conference player in both seasons and also guided the program to national recognition by receiving the 2014 AVCA Team Academic Award for a team grade point average (GPA) better than 3.3.

He also helped return NCCU to the Mid Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Tournament in his first season, after the program did not qualify for the event the previous year.

Before accepting the head coaching position, Holmes was an assistant coach at the University of Central Florida (UCF) for two years. He worked with the Knights' setters and was also responsible for practice planning and opponent scouting.

Holmes played an instrumental role in UCF posting a 21-10 record during the 2013 season, the program's best mark since 2003. He also coached two All-Americans, two all-region performers and seven all-conference selections.

In 2013, he guided UCF's setter Marie Reiterova to a career-best 1,173 assists en route to earning second team all-conference honors. She led the American Conference with 11.39 assists per set and charted 12 double-doubles. The previous season, Holmes helped Reiterova claim Conference USA setter of the week honors three times during the season, which is a program record.

He was the camp director with UCF, leading the staff in planning and execution of summer camps, while overseeing all of the day-to-day operations, including marketing, registration, outside vendor support, lodging and apparel. Holmes also supervised the team managers and volunteer assistant coach.

Holmes spent the 2011 season as a volunteer assistant with the Stetson Hatters, helping with the training of both indoor and sand players. He assisted with practice planning and equipment management.

Since 2005, Holmes has been actively involved with USA Volleyball, serving in numerous capacities. He has served as the program manager for the Collegiate National Team since 2012 where he works with the top 48 student-athletes in the nation with college eligibility remaining.

Additionally, he has been a member of the lead tryout staff for the U.S. Women's National Team Open Tryout since 2012, evaluating more than 250 participants. Holmes is an assistant coach for the USA Select/Youth National Team and is the head coach for multiple USA Training Camps.

Holmes graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy with a Bachelor of Science in general studies (Core Engineering Curriculum) and earned a Master's of Business Administration from Vanderbilt University. He served as an officer in the U.S. Air Force for seven years and was hand-selected to the premier space unit in the United States Military.

What They're Saying About Holmes…
Mike Hebert, Former Head Coach at the University of Minnesota
"Coach Nicki Holmes was an absolute professional during all of the years we spent together with the collegiate national team. Nicki is going to do a great job for Coach Hampton-Keith and NC State. Nicki is a great recruiter and a great coach. The student-athletes will be challenged by Nicki in the gym, and they're going to enjoy working with him on all levels."

Linda Hampton-Keith, NC State Volleyball Head Coach
"Nicki Holmes is a rising star in the coaching profession who I have worked side-by-side for several summers in the USA Volleyball Collegiate National Team program. It's immediately clear when you work with Nicki, that he brings a high level of knowledge about the game and can communicate with the athletes in a way that maximizes their potential. His coaching experiences, creative technical savvy and familiarity of the North Carolina region will allow our staff to seamlessly transition into a highly-functioning program that will allow our athletes to compete at the highest levels immediately."

North Carolina State University Athletics

Campbell, Holmes Tabbed Assistant Coaches for Wolfpack Volleyball

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