Kansas State University Athletics
Volleyball
Fonoti, Fiona
Fiona Fonoti
- Title:
- Assistant Coach, Recruiting Coordinator
- Email:
- ffonoti@kstatesports.com
- Phone:
- (785) 706-8092
Fiona Fonoti, a former Nebraska three-time All-American, joined the K-State coaching staff in January 2023 after serving as an assistant coach at West Virginia and Iowa State. Fonoti works with the setters while serving as the Wildcats' recruiting coordinator.
In 2023, Fonoti orchestrated a K-State offense that accumulated a .225 attack percentage, averaging 12.7 kills per set along with 11.8 assists.
Aliyah Carter, who became the first player in school history to earn unanimous First Team All-Big 12 honors three times, recorded her 1,000th career kill to become the 19th Wildcat to achieve the milestone. She wrapped up the 2023 as the team leader in kills (390), kills per set (4.06), points (438), and points per set (4.56) with a career best 26 aces. Carter received AVCA All-American Honorable Mention honors, becoming the 12th Wildcat to earn All-American status and first since 2014.
K-State achieved a record-breaking five Top 25 wins: No. 18 Baylor, No. 25 Iowa State, No. 8 BYU (twice), and No. 3 Texas. K-State’s historic sweep over eventual 2023 NCAA National Champion Texas snapped a 39-match losing streak against the Longhorns and handed them their only Big 12 Conference loss of the season.
AT IOWA STATE
Fonoti previously spent one season at WVU, following a four-year stint at Iowa State. In her four seasons at ISU, the Honolulu, Hawaii native worked with the defensive specialists and liberos. In 2021, Fonoti helped Marija Popovic claim Big 12 Libero of the Year accolades after she led the league in digs per set (4.56). Popovic also compiled First Team All-Big 12, AVCA All-Midwest Region First Team and Volleyball Magazine All-American honors.
AT PUNAHOU SCHOOL
Prior to her time in Ames, Fonoti was an assistant varsity girls coach at Punahou School in Honolulu, Hawaii as well as a personal setter coach at the Elite Setting Academy in Pearl City, Hawaii. Fonoti also spent time coaching in Hawaii at Pearl City High School and McKinley High School. She also spent six years as the head coach for the Lil Spiker Academy.
During her time in Hawaii, Fonoti was also a teacher, teaching math and special education at a variety of grades and levels across the past 15 years.
PLAYING CAREER
Fonoti, formally Fiona Nepo, had a standout career as a setter at Nebraska where she was part of the Husker squad that made three trips to the NCAA Final Four, including the 1995 National Championship. During her four-year career with the Huskers, she became a three-time AVCA All-American and three-time All-Big 12 First Team honoree, receiving Big 12 Player of the Year recognition as well as a finalist for the NCAA Player of the Year and Honda Broderick Awards.
To this day, Fonoti remains the all-time leader in single-season assists (1,653) and single-match assists (63) while ranking only second to current Husker Nicklin Hames with 4,824 career assists.
PERSONAL
Fiona and her husband Chris have five children: Savion, Sylus, Serania, Sideon and S'hani.
In 2023, Fonoti orchestrated a K-State offense that accumulated a .225 attack percentage, averaging 12.7 kills per set along with 11.8 assists.
Aliyah Carter, who became the first player in school history to earn unanimous First Team All-Big 12 honors three times, recorded her 1,000th career kill to become the 19th Wildcat to achieve the milestone. She wrapped up the 2023 as the team leader in kills (390), kills per set (4.06), points (438), and points per set (4.56) with a career best 26 aces. Carter received AVCA All-American Honorable Mention honors, becoming the 12th Wildcat to earn All-American status and first since 2014.
K-State achieved a record-breaking five Top 25 wins: No. 18 Baylor, No. 25 Iowa State, No. 8 BYU (twice), and No. 3 Texas. K-State’s historic sweep over eventual 2023 NCAA National Champion Texas snapped a 39-match losing streak against the Longhorns and handed them their only Big 12 Conference loss of the season.
AT IOWA STATE
Fonoti previously spent one season at WVU, following a four-year stint at Iowa State. In her four seasons at ISU, the Honolulu, Hawaii native worked with the defensive specialists and liberos. In 2021, Fonoti helped Marija Popovic claim Big 12 Libero of the Year accolades after she led the league in digs per set (4.56). Popovic also compiled First Team All-Big 12, AVCA All-Midwest Region First Team and Volleyball Magazine All-American honors.
AT PUNAHOU SCHOOL
Prior to her time in Ames, Fonoti was an assistant varsity girls coach at Punahou School in Honolulu, Hawaii as well as a personal setter coach at the Elite Setting Academy in Pearl City, Hawaii. Fonoti also spent time coaching in Hawaii at Pearl City High School and McKinley High School. She also spent six years as the head coach for the Lil Spiker Academy.
During her time in Hawaii, Fonoti was also a teacher, teaching math and special education at a variety of grades and levels across the past 15 years.
PLAYING CAREER
Fonoti, formally Fiona Nepo, had a standout career as a setter at Nebraska where she was part of the Husker squad that made three trips to the NCAA Final Four, including the 1995 National Championship. During her four-year career with the Huskers, she became a three-time AVCA All-American and three-time All-Big 12 First Team honoree, receiving Big 12 Player of the Year recognition as well as a finalist for the NCAA Player of the Year and Honda Broderick Awards.
To this day, Fonoti remains the all-time leader in single-season assists (1,653) and single-match assists (63) while ranking only second to current Husker Nicklin Hames with 4,824 career assists.
PERSONAL
Fiona and her husband Chris have five children: Savion, Sylus, Serania, Sideon and S'hani.
K-State VB | Recap vs Nevada
Sunday, September 07
K-State VB | Match Highlights vs Nevada
Friday, September 05
MATCH REPLAY | VB vs Nevada
Friday, September 05
K-State VB | Recap vs NC State
Thursday, September 04
