Nikki Klingsporn Brought On Board as Women’s Volleyball Assistant Coach – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/9/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Feb. 9, 2015
RELATED INFO
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Nikki Klingsporn, an All-American setter at Marquette in 2010, has been hired as an assistant coach for the Ohio State women’s volleyball program, announced head coach Geoff Carlston on Monday, Feb. 9. Klingsporn brings four years of collegiate coaching experience with her to Columbus after playing professionally in the Spring of 2011.
“We are so excited to have Nikki join our family,” Carlston said. “We have known each other for a long time, both of us coming up from the volleyball community back in Minnesota. She is an extremely talented player and will work closely with the Buckeye setters as well as our offensive system. Her personality is a perfect fit for our staff and the positive direction our volleyball program is going.”
Klingsporn spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She helped the Panthers racked up 18 victories en route to a Horizon League Tournament title and subsequent appearance in the 2013 NCAA Tournament. Klingsporn and the Panthers nearly made it back-to-back conference crowns in `14, falling in the league tournament championship match.
“I would like to thank Geoff Carlston for the opportunity to work at Ohio State University,” Klingsporn said. “I am excited to join this incredible staff, team and department. OSU is a special place and I am grateful to be a part of the Buckeye family.”
The Oakdale, Minn., native is no stranger to Big Ten Volleyball, playing at Wisconsin for three seasons before transferring to Marquette as a redshirt junior. At MU, Klingsporn was a two-time All-Big East setter and an honorable mention All-American her senior campaign (2010) following a 12.10 assists per set average which ranked fourth nationally. She was also a team captain in each of her two seasons with the Golden Eagles while earning academic all-league honors in all four of her eligible years.
After finishing her collegiate career, Klingsporn played for the Volleyball Club Wiesbaden in Germany, helping the team to a seventh-place finish in the Deutsche Volleyball Liga. Then, she returned to Marquette for one season as an undergraduate assistant coach, aiding the Golden Eagles to their first-ever NCAA Tournament berth and a win in the first round of the postseason. She trained and guided Marquette’s freshman setter to Big East Freshman of the Year, Region Freshman of the Year and All-American honorable mention laurels.
Klingsporn comes from an athletic and coaching family, the daughter of two college athletes. Her mother and high school coach, Laura, is a member of the North Dakota State Athletics Hall of Fame and the Minnesota State High School Coaches Hall of Fame. Father, Mark, is a well-known basketball coach for Tartan High School.
