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MACOMB, Ill. - Fighting Leatherneck head volleyball coach April Hall announced the hiring of Kyle Shondell as her assistant coach Thursday (June 28). The team also announced Brad Taylor as the team's graduate assistant coach and Amanda Hokenson as volunteer assistant coach.
Kyle Shondell enters his first season as an assistant coach under April Hall after serving a five-year stint (July 2007 – May 2012)
as Purdue University women’s volleyball senior manager. He worked
closely in training with all skill positions, coordinated video setup
and aided in travel logistics.
"I would like to thank Athletics Director Dr. Tim Van Alstine and Head Volleyball Coach April Hall for the opportunity to join the Leatherneck family," said coach Shondell. "I feel blessed for the opportunity and am extremely excited to
help Coach Hall rejuvenate the Leatherneck volleyball program."
During Shondell’s tenure at
Purdue, the Boilermakers advanced to three Sweet Sixteens and an Elite
Eight. Shondell also played for (2008-09) and trained (2011) the Purdue
Men’s Club Volleyball team.
"We are fortunate to
have Kyle join the Leatherneck Volleyball staff and
family," said coach Hall. "Kyle is coming from a highly competitive
program on the
national level and brings a multitude of key attributes to our staff.
His energy, passion and knowledge of the game will prove to be great
assets to this program."
Shondell also spent six years
coaching club volleyball in the Lafayette area. He was the head coach of
the 16 Elite squad at Lafayette Area Volleyball Academy (LAVA) where he ran middle hitter and setter positional clinics, produced
the club newsletter and managed LAVA’s social media outlets.
Prior
to joining LAVA, Shondell worked with Raider Volleyball Club,
Performance Point VBC, and Lafayette Volleyball Academy (LVA). In his
time with LVA, Shondell helped two teams earn top-50 finishes at AAU
Nationals (2010 and 2011). His positions included head coach for the 15
Regional squad and assistant coach for the 16 and 17 Elite teams.
Shondell graduated from Purdue University in May 2012 with a bachelor's degree in Professional Writing and a minor in History.
"I had the pleasure of working with Brad while he was a member of the Media Services staff," said coach Hall. "Not only was I impressed with his extensive knowledge of the game and ability as a statistician, but also his tenacity to go above and beyond. Brad is a great addition to this staff and will be in charge of all daily volleyball operations."
Taylor graduated from Northern Illinois University in May 2010
with a bachelor's degree in Media Studies. While at NIU, he played for
the Huskies Men’s Club Volleyball team. He also spent three years
working in the Athletics Media Relations department as a student
assistant.
Taylor recently finished a two-year stint as a
graduate assistant for Athletics Media Services at Western Illinois
University. He served as the volleyball media contact for the 2010 and
2011 seasons.
Before coming to Western, he served as an intern
for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. During the
internship, he worked both training camp and gamedays with the Corporate
Sales and Advertising & Events departments.
A Glen Ellyn, Ill. native, Taylor earned a Master's degree in Sport Management in May 2012. He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Business Administration.
Amanda Hokenson enters her first season as volunteer assistant coach for the Leatherneck volleyball program.
"I'm pleased to have Amanda join the Leatherneck volleyball staff," said coach Hall. "Her playing and coaching experience speak for themselves. She will add depth to our staff because of her extensive knowledge and passion for the game of volleyball."
Hokenson's most recent coaching position was head volleyball coach at the College of Saint Mary (Omaha, NE) from 2006-2008. The 2006 squad advanced to the quarterfinals of the NAIA National Tournament.
Prior to her stint at CSM, Hokenson served one year as an assistant coach at Dakota Wesleyan University. She has also spent several years coaching at the club level with Anoka Juniors (MN), Nebraska Elite and UMAC (Macomb).
Hokenson graduated from the University of Minnesota with a bachelors degree in English. She was an outside hitter, scholar athlete and four year letter-winner for the Golden Gophers from 2001 to 2004, making two final four appearances and winning a Big Ten Conference Championship.
Amanda resides in Macomb with her husband, Wade, an assistant coach for the Leatherneck men's basketball team. Both are natives of Minnesota. They have a 3 1/2 year old daughter, Harper, and a 1 1/2 year old son, Jack.
