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University of Nebraska - Kearney Athletics

Coach Steph Brand

Steph Brand

Stephanie Brand recently competed her fourth year as an assistant coach at Nebraska-Kearney.

The Grand Island native began her duties in the summer of 2016 as a graduate assistant and was promoted to full-time status in the summer of 2018. She is involved in all aspects of the Loper program. 

"We could not be more pleased about the opportunity to keep Coach Brand on the Loper Volleyball staff. She is a talented young coach and recruiter who can have a great impact on the program in her expanded role. We are very fortunate that the timing worked out for her to stay with the Blue and Gold," said UNK head coach Rick Squiers.

Since joining the coaching staff, UNK has gone 139-10, made four NCAA Tournament appearances and won four MIAA regular season and tournament titles. 

In 2019 the Lopers went 38-1 and reached the National Championship match. UNK won the MIAA regular season and tournament titles once again and finished the regular season with a 30-0 mark. It was the second undefeated regular season in program history. 

UNK hosted the NCAA Central Regional for a second straight season and staged a comeback for the ages in the in the finals to reach the Elite Eight in Denver. The Lopers downed Concordia-St. Paul in fives sets before beating Gannon (Pa.) and Rockhurst (Mo.) in Colorado to reach the national title match. 

A year earlier UNK went 33-3 and hosted the Central Regional for the fifth time. Ranked 12th in the final national poll, senior libero Ellie McDonnell was named to the AVCA All-American team and broke the school career dig record. Steph Brand

In 2017 the Lopers went 33-4, won the MIAA Tournament title and were MIAA regular season co-champions. Finishing the season ranked ninth in D2, UNK had seven players named all-conference and one earn All-American honors. A fall prior UNK posted a 35-2 mark and won both the MIAA regular season and tournament titles. The Lopers finished fifth in the final poll and had three AVCA All-Americans. 
 
Before returning to Kearney, Brand was the assistant varsity and head junior varsity volleyball coach at her prep alma mater, Grand Island Central Catholic.

As a player for the Crusaders, she was a four-year starter and a member of the 2007 and 2010 Class C-1 state champions. Brand left GICC as the school’s all-time leader in career kills and was named honorary captain of the Omaha World Herald’s 2010 Class C-1 all-state team. She also was named second-team All-Nebraska as a junior.
 
In college, Brand played for four NCAA Tournament teams at Wayne State and UNK. She was a part of three Loper teams that won a combined 90 matches from 2012-2014. A three-time MIAA Academic Honor Roll qualifier, Brand co-captained the 2014 squad that went 27-4 and tied for the MIAA regular season title.
 
Brand holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from UNK in Education.
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