Nicole Kelly Named Head Volleyball Coach at Bryn Mawr

Nicole Kelly, who has spent the last four years as an assistant coach at Swarthmore College, has been named Bryn Mawr’s head volleyball coach, announced the College’s Director of Athletics, Physical Education, and Recreation Kathy Tierney. Kelly will also serve as a lecturer in the College’s Physical Education department.

“I want to thank Kathy Tierney for this opportunity as I’m very excited to become Bryn Mawr’s head volleyball coach,” said Kelly, who was named head coach following a nationwide search. “I am looking forward to stepping into the gym for preseason to inspire, teach and motivate the team as we take on a new season.”

Becoming the 10th head volleyball coach in program history, Kelly joins the Bryn Mawr staff from Swarthmore College after serving the last four years as the assistant coach and twice as the interim head coach. She brings more than six years of intercollegiate coaching experience to the Yellow and White sidelines.

As the assistant coach at Swarthmore, Kelly was responsible for assisting in the running of practices, including on-court instruction as well as video breakdown. She attended the country’s elite volleyball tournaments and assisted in the coordination of campus visits by recruits. Her game day management included the training of events staff, compiling of statistics, and the organization of youth ball girls for home matches. During this time, the Garnet reached the Centennial Conference postseason three of the last four years including a trip to the finals in 2010. In addition, during the 2011 and 2012 spring semesters, Kelly served as the head coach for the men’s volleyball club team.

“I am absolutely delighted to welcome Nicole Kelly to Bryn Mawr as our head volleyball coach, she has a proven record of accomplishment, both as a coach and a player, at the highest level and brings a great understanding of our institution and the values of athletics in the Centennial Conference,” Tierney stated.

Kelly has coached various clinics in the greater Philadelphia area and coached the Mystique Volleyball Club for three years. She has also worked at various camps and clinics including Our Lady of Peace in Milmont Park, Pa., Nike Volleyball Camps, Seton Hall University Volleyball Camps and Merion Mercy Volleyball Camps.

Kelly served as the Swarthmore’s interim head coach twice, once in 2009 and again in 2012. During that time she facilitated the non-traditional spring season by scheduling and planning practices that included their play date, fundraising events, kid’s night out and youth volleyball program. She coordinated recruiting efforts including overnight and campus visits, oversaw the office worker and planned for the upcoming season with the ordering of equipment and the summer preseason training packet.

A former full scholarship volleyball player at Division I Seton Hall University; she was a two-time Big East Academic All-Star. Kelly graduated in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in social and behavioral sciences.

No stranger to the Main Line area, Kelly graduated from Merion Mercy Academy in 2003, where she was a four-year letter winner, team captain, first team all-district; first team all-Main Line and first team all-Philadelphia Inquirer. She was named MVP of the Bicentennial League, first team all-state as a junior and senior, and played USA Volleyball for clubs such as Valley Forge and Synergy.

Kelly is also a member of the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). She holds a USA Volleyball Impact certification and is a certified volleyball official for the NCAA and USAV.