Coach Hunt enters her 12th year leading Bethel 's women's volleyball program after serving as an assistant for three years. Hunt led the Royals to the MIAC championship and a berth in the NCAA tournament in her rookie year as head coach in 2001, garnering her both MIAC and Central Region Coach of the Year honors following that season. In 2007 and 2011, she brought the team back to the NCAA tournament where they advanced to the second round both years. Hunt enters the 2012 season with a 195-148 overall record and is 68-54 in MIAC play. In her 11 seasons, she has coached one first and one second-team All-American, seven All-Region players, 18 All-MIAC players, two MIAC MVPs, and one MIAC Defensive Player of the Year. The Royals have been ranked in the Top 25 nationally during her tenure in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2007, and 2011.
Hunt graduated from Central College in Pella, Iowa, with a degree in psychology in 1997 and earned her master's degree in public affairs from the University of Minnesota in 1999. While at Central, she played on the volleyball team and participated in two NCAA national tournaments. In addition to coaching at Bethel, she has worked as a head coach and part-time clinician for the Heartland Volleyball Club, Adidas Select Volleyball Club, Crossfire Volleyball Club, Minnetonka Juniors, and Minnesota Select Volleyball Club. She has been a summer camp clinician for camps at Bethel University, Central College, and for Midwest Volleyball Instructors (MVI). In 2004 Hunt served as an assistant coach for the first ever North Country Region High Performance Team. She also is a frequent speaker and clinician for the Minnesota State High School Volleyball Coaches Association Fall Clinic and the MVI Spring Clinic.
In addition to her coaching duties at Bethel, Hunt serves as Bethel's senior woman administrator and compliance director in the athletic department. Coach Hunt lives with her husband, Chris, and their sons, Nathan, 7, and Samuel, 4, in Plymouth, Minn.
Assistant Coach: Megan Kirchoff
Kirchoff begins her second season as a full-time assistant with the Royals volleyball program after spending the 2010-11 academic year as an assistant with the women's basketball program. Now a full-time employee, Kirchoff previously served two years at Bethel University as a part of the NCAA Women's and Ethnic Minority Internship Grant program, with additional duties in compliance, game management, and the Student Athlete Advisory Commitee. In addition to her role as assistant volleyball coach, Kirchoff is a faculty member in the Human Kinetics and Applied Health Sciences department, director of club sports, and Student Athlete Advisory Committee advisor.
Kirchoff graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Master's in Sports Management. During her one year at Minnesota she helped lead her team to the 2009 Final Four while playing the outside hitter position. Before her time with the Gophers, she received her Bachelor's of Science with an emphasis in nutrition and fitness from the University of Missouri. She also played volleyball for the Tigers, helping lead her team to three NCAA appearances, playing libero, right side hitter, and setter. Wilson has most recently coached with the Kokoro Volleyball Club based in Woodbury, Minn. Kirchoff and her husband, Scott, who is an assistant football coach at Bethel, live in Little Canada, Minn.
Assistant Coach: Carissa Carroll
Carroll begins her eighthseason as an assistant with the Royals. Before coming to Bethel, Carroll spent a year as an assistant coach for Northwestern College in Roseville, Minn. As a player, Carroll had a distinguished career with the Royals that included two MIAC championships. She tied an NCAA record in 2000 for fifteen consecutive serves in one match and was also given the defensive specialist award that year. She graduated from Bethel in 2003 with a degree in K-12 Physical Education. She is currently teaching elementary physical education for Parkview Center School in the Roseville School District. Carroll is married to Bethel Assistant Hockey Coach and professor in the Human Kinetics and Applied Health Sciences department Chris Carroll and they have one son, Luke.
Assistant Coach: Kim Bostrom
Bostrom begins her fourth season with Bethel after serving for two seasons as the graduate assistant in volleyball at St. Cloud State University. She has also coached for the Heartland Volleyball Club and Club Liberty. Bostrom played high school volleyball at Centennial High School, and she went on to a collegiate career at South Dakota State University where she was part of the transition from an NCAA Division II program to a Division I program. She was honored as an All-Conference athlete at both the Division II and Division I levels. Bostrom has a B.S. in Criminal Justice and an M.S. in Sports Management. She currently works for the Department of Veteran Affairs. Bostrom’s main areas of expertise focuses on training middle blockers.
Assistant Coach: Nikki Smith
Smith begins her second season as an assistant with the Royals, returning to her alma mater after serving in the same capacity for three seasons at Northwestern College in Roseville, Minn. She helped lead the Eagles to their first NCAA tournament bid in 2010, representing the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference. Smith played collegiately first at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, and then transferred to Bethel for her final two seasons where she played as a middle blocker and right side hitter. Smith has worked with both the MN Premier Volleyball Club and Crossfire Volleyball Club. A native of New Brighton, Minn., Smith graduated from Bethel with a degree in Media Communication and a minor in Spanish. During the day, Smith works as an office manager for ACR Homes. She, her husband Jonah, and their sons Zachariah and Gabriel live in Ham Lake.
