Kansas State University Athletics
Mansfield Announces O’Connor as Assistant Volleyball Coach
Feb 07, 2025 | Volleyball
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Head coach Jason Mansfield and the Kansas State volleyball program announced the addition of Kelly O'Connor to the staff on Friday. O'Connor will serve as an assistant coach, with primary responsibilities including coaching passers and defenders, utilizing analytics, and assisting with the Wildcats' overall defense.
"We are so excited to welcome Kelly to K-State Volleyball," said Mansfield. "Kelly is an elite teacher of the game and excels at connecting with student-athletes—two qualities we deeply value here at K-State."
"She's helped build the program at Omaha for the last five-plus seasons and I love that she's done a wide variety of things to help that program get better. Her versatility will be valuable in helping us continue to grow as a program, and we are all looking forward to her getting here to Manhattan."
A native of Sundance, Wyoming, O'Connor served the last three seasons as the Mavericks' associate head coach, following three years as an assistant after joining the staff in 2019.
"I couldn't be more excited to join the staff at K-State," O'Connor said. "I want to thank Coach Mansfield for this opportunity and for welcoming me into the program. What he and his staff are building is something truly special, and I'm thrilled to be a part of it. I also want to express my gratitude to Coach Matt Buttermore for my time and opportunity at Omaha. I'm looking forward to being in Manhattan. Go Cats!"
The Mavericks made history in 2023, winning the Summit League Championship and appearing in the program's first NCAA Division I Tournament. O'Connor assisted the Mavericks to their second consecutive 20-win season in 2022, while the 2021 squad finished first in the league standings with 16 conference victories.
Before her time at Omaha, O'Connor served as the video coordinator for the Nebraska Husker volleyball program where the team captured the 2017 NCAA Division I National Championship and finished as the national runner-up in 2018. Prior to that, she spent two seasons as a graduate assistant at Hastings College, helping the Broncos capture the 2016 NAIA national title.
O'Connor began her collegiate playing career at Great Falls College in Montana before transferring to Dickinson State in North Dakota, where she played two seasons for the Blue Hawks and later served as a student assistant.
She earned her bachelor's degree in mathematics education with a minor in biology from Dickinson State in 2015.
"We are so excited to welcome Kelly to K-State Volleyball," said Mansfield. "Kelly is an elite teacher of the game and excels at connecting with student-athletes—two qualities we deeply value here at K-State."
"She's helped build the program at Omaha for the last five-plus seasons and I love that she's done a wide variety of things to help that program get better. Her versatility will be valuable in helping us continue to grow as a program, and we are all looking forward to her getting here to Manhattan."
A native of Sundance, Wyoming, O'Connor served the last three seasons as the Mavericks' associate head coach, following three years as an assistant after joining the staff in 2019.
"I couldn't be more excited to join the staff at K-State," O'Connor said. "I want to thank Coach Mansfield for this opportunity and for welcoming me into the program. What he and his staff are building is something truly special, and I'm thrilled to be a part of it. I also want to express my gratitude to Coach Matt Buttermore for my time and opportunity at Omaha. I'm looking forward to being in Manhattan. Go Cats!"
The Mavericks made history in 2023, winning the Summit League Championship and appearing in the program's first NCAA Division I Tournament. O'Connor assisted the Mavericks to their second consecutive 20-win season in 2022, while the 2021 squad finished first in the league standings with 16 conference victories.
Before her time at Omaha, O'Connor served as the video coordinator for the Nebraska Husker volleyball program where the team captured the 2017 NCAA Division I National Championship and finished as the national runner-up in 2018. Prior to that, she spent two seasons as a graduate assistant at Hastings College, helping the Broncos capture the 2016 NAIA national title.
O'Connor began her collegiate playing career at Great Falls College in Montana before transferring to Dickinson State in North Dakota, where she played two seasons for the Blue Hawks and later served as a student assistant.
She earned her bachelor's degree in mathematics education with a minor in biology from Dickinson State in 2015.
– k-statesports.com –
How to follow the Cats: For complete information on the K-State Volleyball, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
How to follow the Cats: For complete information on the K-State Volleyball, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
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