Volleyball
Steve Astor
- Title:
- Associate Head Coach
- Email:
- sastor@kstatesports.com
Steve Astor, who brought over 20 years of coaching experience that spans over various sports and levels, was named the associate head coach in January 2023 as the first hire under head coach Jason Mansfield. Astor serves as the Wildcats’ defensive coordinator and primary lead for player development.
With Astor leading the defense, three players have garnered all-conference honors with middle blocker Sydney Bolding, liberos Mackenzie Morris and Ella Larkin.
Last season, Astor helped propel K-State to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2021, while earning their first postseason victory since 2016. K-State defeated eighth-seeded San Diego in a thrilling five-set opening-round match.
K-State's defense ranked among the Big 12's best in 2025, finishing third in the conference with 14.69 digs per set while holding opponents to a .198 hitting percentage, the fifth-lowest mark in the league.
The Wildcats tied the program record with five wins over Top 25 opponents, highlighted by a historic five-set victory over No. 14 Kansas in the Dillons Sunflower Showdown. Astor orchestrated a standout defensive performance against the Jayhawks, limiting the them to a season-low .104 hitting percentage in conference play. K-State recorded a season-best 93 digs in the victory, the most by any Big 12 team during the 2025 season, led by Symone Sims' team- and career-high 26 digs.
Sims averaged 3.99 digs per set on the year, ranking third in the conference. Sims finished the season with 10 matches of 20 or more digs, tying for fourth-most in school history. She became the second player under Astor to reach the milestone, joining libero Ella Larkin, who accomplished the feat in 2024. Middle blockers Brenna Schmidt and Jordyn Williams anchored the Wildcats at the net, finishing 13th and 17th in the Big 12 in blocks with averages of 1.05 and 0.99 blocks per set, respectively.
The 2024 Wildcats' defense led the Big 12 and ranked 29th nationally with 16.75 digs per set, totaling 1,776 digs — the third-most in the conference. Individually, senior libero Ella Larkin ranked third in the Big 12 in both total digs (492) and digs per set (4.62), placing 51st and 71st nationally in those categories, respectively, while earning Second Team All-Big 12 honors. Larkin became the first player since 2015 to produce 10 or more matches eclipsing the 20-dig mark. Middle blocker Brenna Schmidt averaged 1.04 blocks per set, tying for 10th in the conference.
In 2023, Astor orchestrated a K-State defense that led the Big 12 Conference with an opponent attack percentage of .170, while the Cats were second in the Big 12 Conference in digs per set (15.24). K-State was fourth in the league in blocks per set (2.52) and sixth in total blocks (244.0).
The Wildcats’ defense was led by starting libero Mackenzie Morris and middle blocker Sydney Bolding.
Bolding became the program’s first-ever draft pick, as she was selected 11th overall by the Grand Rapids Rise in the inaugural Pro Volleyball Federation draft. The AVCA First Team All-Region honoree finished the regular season as the Conference leader in total blocks (134) and was second with a block average of 1.40, ranking 35th and 12th nationally in both categories.
Morris led the back row in her fourth season as the Cats’ starting libero. During the regular season, she ranked first among all Power 5 programs with a digs average of 4.82, while she also led the Big 12 Conference in total digs (468).
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.
Prior to K-State, the Vanguard University alum spent three seasons at Pepperdine as the assistant indoor women’s volleyball coach and recruiting coordinator under head coach Scott Wong. He helped guide the Waves to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances with an overall 58-21 record for a .734 winning percentage.
In 2020, Astor helped Madison Shields to become just the sixth player in program history to receive the West Coast Conference’s top defensive award, earning WCC Libero of the Year accolades. Shields finished her career ranked in the Waves all-time Top 10 leaderboard in of four categories: career digs (9th, 1,152), single-season digs (5th, 457), single-season digs per set (6th, 4.31), and single-match digs (3rd, 34).
Prior to his time in Malibu, Astor coached as a volunteer assistant at the University of Washington alongside Mansfield as part of the Husky squad that reached the NCAA Elite Eight in 2019. His primary responsibilities were placed with coaching liberos and back row defense, while also serving as the in-game serve and pass coordinator. He also served a brief stint as a volunteer assistant for the UC Irvine men's squad.
Before making the jump to college, Astor most recently coached at the helm of the Corona del Mar High School where he led the program to an impressive 139-49 record, including six straight league championships from 2013-18. Before CDMHS, he was the head boys’ varsity coach at Newport Harbor High School and an associate head coach for the boys’ and girls’ programs at Laguna Beach High School. The Laguna Beach boys won the 2010 CIF state title with Astor as interim Head Coach.
At the club level, Astor spent eight seasons coaching for the Balboa Bay Volleyball Club from 2011 to 2018, leading his squad to a pair of silver medal finishes at U.S. Junior Nationals in 2012 and 2014. He also served as an assistant men's coach for Orange Coast College from 2008-11, helping the team earn state runner-up finishes in 2008 and 2009, and semifinal finishes in 2010 and 2011. While with the club, he coached with the likes of current USA Men’s Volleyball Head Coach John Speraw.
While at BBVC, Astor was also an Associate Head Coach for both girls and boys and Laguna Beach High School from 2006-12, leading the boys’ squad as Interim Head Coach for a part of the season to 2010 CIF and CIF State Regional titles in 2010. He led the girls’ team to CIF D2 crowns in both 2006 and 2007.
Astor, a native of Tustin, Calif., earned his Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Management from Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, Calif., graduating in 2012 before he obtained his Single Subject Teaching Credential in Mathematics from National University in 2018.
With Astor leading the defense, three players have garnered all-conference honors with middle blocker Sydney Bolding, liberos Mackenzie Morris and Ella Larkin.
Last season, Astor helped propel K-State to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2021, while earning their first postseason victory since 2016. K-State defeated eighth-seeded San Diego in a thrilling five-set opening-round match.
K-State's defense ranked among the Big 12's best in 2025, finishing third in the conference with 14.69 digs per set while holding opponents to a .198 hitting percentage, the fifth-lowest mark in the league.
The Wildcats tied the program record with five wins over Top 25 opponents, highlighted by a historic five-set victory over No. 14 Kansas in the Dillons Sunflower Showdown. Astor orchestrated a standout defensive performance against the Jayhawks, limiting the them to a season-low .104 hitting percentage in conference play. K-State recorded a season-best 93 digs in the victory, the most by any Big 12 team during the 2025 season, led by Symone Sims' team- and career-high 26 digs.
Sims averaged 3.99 digs per set on the year, ranking third in the conference. Sims finished the season with 10 matches of 20 or more digs, tying for fourth-most in school history. She became the second player under Astor to reach the milestone, joining libero Ella Larkin, who accomplished the feat in 2024. Middle blockers Brenna Schmidt and Jordyn Williams anchored the Wildcats at the net, finishing 13th and 17th in the Big 12 in blocks with averages of 1.05 and 0.99 blocks per set, respectively.
The 2024 Wildcats' defense led the Big 12 and ranked 29th nationally with 16.75 digs per set, totaling 1,776 digs — the third-most in the conference. Individually, senior libero Ella Larkin ranked third in the Big 12 in both total digs (492) and digs per set (4.62), placing 51st and 71st nationally in those categories, respectively, while earning Second Team All-Big 12 honors. Larkin became the first player since 2015 to produce 10 or more matches eclipsing the 20-dig mark. Middle blocker Brenna Schmidt averaged 1.04 blocks per set, tying for 10th in the conference.
In 2023, Astor orchestrated a K-State defense that led the Big 12 Conference with an opponent attack percentage of .170, while the Cats were second in the Big 12 Conference in digs per set (15.24). K-State was fourth in the league in blocks per set (2.52) and sixth in total blocks (244.0).
The Wildcats’ defense was led by starting libero Mackenzie Morris and middle blocker Sydney Bolding.
Bolding became the program’s first-ever draft pick, as she was selected 11th overall by the Grand Rapids Rise in the inaugural Pro Volleyball Federation draft. The AVCA First Team All-Region honoree finished the regular season as the Conference leader in total blocks (134) and was second with a block average of 1.40, ranking 35th and 12th nationally in both categories.
Morris led the back row in her fourth season as the Cats’ starting libero. During the regular season, she ranked first among all Power 5 programs with a digs average of 4.82, while she also led the Big 12 Conference in total digs (468).
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.
Prior to K-State, the Vanguard University alum spent three seasons at Pepperdine as the assistant indoor women’s volleyball coach and recruiting coordinator under head coach Scott Wong. He helped guide the Waves to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances with an overall 58-21 record for a .734 winning percentage.
In 2020, Astor helped Madison Shields to become just the sixth player in program history to receive the West Coast Conference’s top defensive award, earning WCC Libero of the Year accolades. Shields finished her career ranked in the Waves all-time Top 10 leaderboard in of four categories: career digs (9th, 1,152), single-season digs (5th, 457), single-season digs per set (6th, 4.31), and single-match digs (3rd, 34).
Prior to his time in Malibu, Astor coached as a volunteer assistant at the University of Washington alongside Mansfield as part of the Husky squad that reached the NCAA Elite Eight in 2019. His primary responsibilities were placed with coaching liberos and back row defense, while also serving as the in-game serve and pass coordinator. He also served a brief stint as a volunteer assistant for the UC Irvine men's squad.
Before making the jump to college, Astor most recently coached at the helm of the Corona del Mar High School where he led the program to an impressive 139-49 record, including six straight league championships from 2013-18. Before CDMHS, he was the head boys’ varsity coach at Newport Harbor High School and an associate head coach for the boys’ and girls’ programs at Laguna Beach High School. The Laguna Beach boys won the 2010 CIF state title with Astor as interim Head Coach.
At the club level, Astor spent eight seasons coaching for the Balboa Bay Volleyball Club from 2011 to 2018, leading his squad to a pair of silver medal finishes at U.S. Junior Nationals in 2012 and 2014. He also served as an assistant men's coach for Orange Coast College from 2008-11, helping the team earn state runner-up finishes in 2008 and 2009, and semifinal finishes in 2010 and 2011. While with the club, he coached with the likes of current USA Men’s Volleyball Head Coach John Speraw.
While at BBVC, Astor was also an Associate Head Coach for both girls and boys and Laguna Beach High School from 2006-12, leading the boys’ squad as Interim Head Coach for a part of the season to 2010 CIF and CIF State Regional titles in 2010. He led the girls’ team to CIF D2 crowns in both 2006 and 2007.
Astor, a native of Tustin, Calif., earned his Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Management from Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, Calif., graduating in 2012 before he obtained his Single Subject Teaching Credential in Mathematics from National University in 2018.
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