The Calvin University women's volleyball team added two new assistant coaches for the upcoming 2025 season.
 
Taylor Roede has been added as an assistant coach, while Avery Ekkens will serve as a graduate assistant coach for the program.
 
Roede comes to the Calvin coaching staff after playing at Wayne State University (Mich.) from 2018-21. During her playing career, Roede was a four-year starting outside hitter and earned three All-GLIAC honors while finishing her playing career with 937 kills, 903 digs and 150 blocks. She also helped WSU to the program's third ever appearance (and first since 1994) to the NCAA II Tournament.
 
Off the court, Roede was a four-time GLIAC All-Academic Excellence Team honoree and two-time Deans' Award recipient from the College of Nursing for having the highest cumulative grade-point average among all student-athletes in that particular college. Before graduating with a degree in nursing in 2022, Roede served as an NCAA Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) President for three years and helped lead the WSU Fellowship of Christian Athletes bible studies.
 
Ekkens joins the Calvin coaching staff as a graduate assistant after graduating from Calvin in the spring. A four-year member of the Calvin volleyball program from 2021-24, Ekkens was part of a three teams (2021, 22 and 23) that earned trips to the NCAA III Women's Volleyball Tournament and one MIAA championship in 2022.
 
A two-year starter at outside hitter, Ekkens was named All-MIAA First Team and Honorable Mention All-Region by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) as a senior in 2024 after recorded 480 kills and 653 digs for her career. Off the court, Ekkens earned her undergraduate degree in marketing and professional selling. She is currently enrolled in Calvin's MBA program.
 
"We are very excited to have Avery and Taylor as a part of our coaching staff," Calvin head women's volleyball coach Dr. Amber Warners said. "Their experience and knowledge will help our players grow on the court as well as off the court to help them become the best players they can be and the people that they can be, which fits with our program philosophy. We are very excited to have both of them on board with us."


Calvin women's volleyball will open the 2025 regular season with a two-day tournament hosted by Central College starting on August 29.