WISE, VA — UVA Wise head women's volleyball coach Kristen Salyer has been named the Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Development and will resign from her coaching position, Athletic Director Kendall Rainey announced Wednesday.
In her role as Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Development, Salyer will aid student-athletes in balancing academic coursework and athletic competition throughout their college careers. Salyer's main duties will also include overseeing community outreach and developing career services and life-skill programming for student-athletes.
In addition to her new title, Salyer will resume her duties as Senior Woman Administrator and as advisor of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) at the college.
"I am thankful to Dr. Rainey for this new opportunity," Salyer said. "I am looking forward to serving all of our student-athletes in a different capacity."
Rainey believes Salyer is the perfect fit for the newly-added position in the athletic department. "I am excited about this opportunity for Kristen and our athletic department," Rainey said. "She has a strong passion for UVA Wise and our students as well as NCAA Division-II. I trust she will work tirelessly to serve and support our student-athletes. Kristen embodies the vision we work toward every day and will be an excellent resource for our Highland Cavaliers."
Salyer graduated from the college in 2010 with a bachelor's degree in health and physical education. In addition, Salyer was a stellar student-athlete and played on the UVA Wise volleyball team. The four-year letterwinner currently ranks fourth all-time in kills (1,214) and points (1,432.5) at UVA Wise.
Salyer took over the head volleyball coaching position at UVA Wise in 2012, two years after serving as an assistant for then-head volleyball coach Rainey. After documenting 28 wins as head coach from 2012 to 2015, Salyer led the infamous 2015-2016 Cavalier volleyball team to an impressive 15 wins in their first year as a Division-II competitor.
During her coaching career at the college, Salyer also completed her Masters in Sport Administration from Arkansas State University in 2021.
Salyer completed her tenth season as head coach this month, and acquired 69 wins overall at the helm of the volleyball program.
The opportunities that the UVA Wise volleyball program provided for me led to the greatest moments of my life," Salyer added. "This program has been a part of my life for over 15 years and It is hard to put into words how much It means to me. The memories made and the relationships built through my time in this role will always hold a special place in my heart."
Salyer will assume her position as Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Development next week. A national search for a head volleyball coach is currently underway.
