Feb. 1, 2013
LEXINGTON, Ky. –
Anders Nelson has been hired as an assistant coach for the Kentucky volleyball program coach Craig Skinner announced on Friday. Nelson previously spent a year as an assistant at Arkansas and was a volunteer assistant at Kentucky in 2011.
“We are excited to have Anders back on staff here at Kentucky,” Skinner said. “He is a bright-young star in this profession. In addition to playing Division I volleyball, he’s coached top-level players on the club, high school and collegiate levels. His passion, energy and experience will be huge assets to our program as we continue to make strides going forward.”
While at Arkansas, the Razorbacks earned a 22-10 overall record which resulted in their first berth in the NCAA Tournament since 2006. Nelson helped guide Arkansas to its highest team hitting percentage in nine seasons, while aiding the recruiting trail as three players ranked in the top-100 by PrepVolleyball.com committed to the program for the 2013 season.
Nelson also served as the camp director for all summer camps in Fayetteville. Attendance rose to its largest numbers in five years under his direction.
“I’m thrilled to be back where my collegiate coaching career began,” Nelson said. “I look forward to the challenges that arise from continuing to grow as an already successful program. The Big Blue Nation is a very contagious culture, and I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of it again.”
Prior to his time at Arkansas, Nelson served as a volunteer assistant at Kentucky during the 2011 season. The Wildcats advanced to the regional semifinal and finished 28-6 overall en route to capping the year with top-15 national rankings. Nelson worked with Kentucky’s middle blockers who averaged 2.56 blocks per set to lead the league and rank in the top-40 nationally.
At the club level, Nelson spent two seasons with the Munciana Volleyball Club. He helped lead the club to the 2011 AAU 18 Open National Championship with a near-perfect record of 66-2. During his tenure with Munciana, he coached three All-America players including Kentucky sophomore Morgan Bergren who also was tabbed the MVP of the national tournament.
While in the high school coaching ranks, Nelson was an assistant at Muncie Burris Laboratory High School where the team earned a combined 79-0 record, two state titles and a pair of national runner-up finishes. At Muncie Burris, Nelson helped coach two Gatorade Players of the Year and nine all-state performers.
Nelson was an exceptional player earning American Volleyball Coaches Association All-America second-team honors at Ball State. He was a two-time All-MIVA performer while serving as the team captain for the three seasons. During his senior campaign, he ranked fourth in the nation for total blocks and finished second in the “Off the Block” National Blocker of the Year voting.
Nelson is a 2011 graduate of Ball State University where he graduated summa cum laude with a finance and accounting degree.
For the past three summers, the Saint Croix Falls, Wis., native has been director of the Nelson Volleyball Camp, a three-day camp established with his sister, All-American Meredith Nelson Uram. In a three-year span the camp has mentored more than 175 athletes.
Nelson began his involvement on the Division I level while at Minnesota from 2006-08. Nelson served as the treasurer for the men’s club squad, while also offering his assistance to the women’s varsity program as a student statistical analyst. In his first season working with the Golden Gophers, the women marched to the Elite Eight under Hall of Fame coach Mike Hebert.
Visit UKathletics.com for the most up-to-date information on the UK volleyball team. For additional coverage of the volleyball squad be sure and check out CatScratchesBlog.com/volleyball.
