Nadia Edwards Position: Head Coach

Nadia Edwards, a Frankfort, Ill. native, is in her second season as the DePaul head volleyball coach. She became the fifth head coach in program history after joining the Blue Demon staff in February of 2010. Edwards boasts a high level of experience as a student-athlete at Penn State before a professional playing career overseas along with assistant coaching experience at Ohio State and Ohio University.

Prior to becoming the fifth head coach at DePaul, Edwards served as an assistant at Ohio State for two seasons. With the Buckeyes, she helped the program reach the second round of the 2009 NCAA Championship after finishing fourth in the Big Ten. Edwards tutored a pair of All-Big Ten honorees while working with the middle hitters. She also coordinated travel, camps and clinics, and oversaw community outreach programs.

"Nadia and I have been together for over five years and, though it is hard to see her leave, I'm excited and very happy for this new chapter in her life," said Ohio State head coach Geoff Carlston. "I have no doubt she is going to do great things at DePaul. They are getting a high quality coach and a tremendous person."

After a stint as a graduate assistant at Virginia Tech, Edwards joined Carlston and the Ohio University volleyball staff in May 2005. The Bobcats claimed three straight Mid-American Conference titles and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of the 2005 NCAA Championship. Ohio made three straight NCAA appearances and was ranked in the AVCA top 25 for 42 consecutive weeks.

Edwards played volleyball professionally for three years, both in the United State and overseas. She competed in the A1 European League for two years as a team captain and starting outside hitter for the Glarus (Switzerland) squad in 2004-05 after playing the opposite position for the Granada (Spain) team in 2003-04. Edwards also played in the United States Professional Volleyball League in 2001-02 for the St. Louis Quest.

Edwards graduated from Penn State in 2001 with a bachelor's degree in business marketing. She lettered four years in volleyball for the Nittany Lions under head coach Russ Rose. Edwards was a middle hitter on a squad that won four Big Ten championships and competed in the NCAA Final Four three years in a row. Her team compiled a 71-2 record and won a national championship in 1999 while earning national runner-up finishes in 1997 and 1998.