Women's Volleyball
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- fonoti.1@osu.edu
The Ohio State women’s volleyball program and head coach Jen Flynn Oldenburg announced the addition of Fiona Fonoti to the staff in January 2025. Fonoti serves as an assistant coach.
Ohio State finished the 2025 season with a 6-22 record and a 3-17 mark in conference play with a largely new team plagued by injuries. Kamiah Gibson received the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award, while Sydney Wyman and Olivia Hasbrook were named CSC Academic All-District. The Buckeyes had 11 earn Academic All-Big Ten honors.
Fonoti joined the Buckeye staff after spending two seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Kansas State. While with the Wildcats, Fonoti coached the first player in school history to earn unanimous All-Big 12 first team honors three times, the 19th Wildcat to record 1,000 career kills and the first AVCA All-American the program had since 2014. In 2023, Kansas State achieved a record-breaking five wins against ranked opponents.
“I would like to thank The Ohio State University and head coach Jen Flynn Oldenburg for this amazing opportunity to be a part of her staff,” Fonoti said. “I am excited to join The Ohio State University women’s volleyball program and get to work! Go Bucks!!”
Prior to joining Kansas State’s staff, Fonoti spent one season at West Virginia after a four-year stint at Iowa State. While at Iowa State, Fonoti worked with the defensive specialists and liberos, coaching the Big 12 Libero of the Year who went on to be named All-Big 12 First Team, AVCA All-Region and Volleyball Mag All-American.
Before her collegiate coaching career began, Fonoti was an assistant varsity girls coach at Punahou School in Honolulu, Hawaii, as well as a setting coach at the Elite Setting Academy. She spent time coaching at multiple high schools and six years as the head coach for the Lil Spiker Academy. Fonoti also served as a math and special education teacher during her time in Hawaii.
Fonoti was a standout setter during her time at Nebraska, leading the Huskers to three NCAA Final Four appearances and the 1995 NCAA Championship title. She is a three-time AVCA All-American and three-time All-Big 12 First Team honoree. Fonoti, formerly Fiona Nepo, also won Big 12 Player of the Year and was a finalist for the NCAA Player of the Year and Honda Broderick Awards. She continues to remain the program’s all-time leader in single-season assists (1,653) and single-match assists (63) and ranks second all-time in career assists (4,824).
Fiona and her husband Chris have five children: Savion, Sylus, Serania, Sideon and S'hani.
