Feb. 8, 2008

AUBURN - The Auburn volleyball program has named Chris Campbell and April Yantis as assistant coaches, head coach Wade Benson announced Friday.

"I am very excited to have Chris and April on board to complete our coaching staff," said Benson, who was named Auburn's seventh head coach on Dec. 21, 2007. "They have so much experience between them as both a head coach and assistant coach at major programs. That will only help us as we take the Auburn program to the next level."

Campbell will assume the role as Benson's top assistant and will take over the position of recruiting coordinator. Along with her coaching duties, Yantis will handle much of the program's administrative duties.

Campbell, a native of Harvey Station, New Brunswick, Canada, brings nine seasons of coaching experience to the staff, eight as a head coach and one as an assistant coach. Most recently, Campbell was at Northern Arizona from 2004-07.

"Chris is someone that has international experience, playing experience and head coaching experience from Northern Arizona and Louisiana-Lafayette," said Benson. "With his experience in the southeast, I feel that he will be a great recruiter while also serving as an excellent helper with on-court duties."

Benson and Campbell actually competed against each other in the Big Sky Conference while Benson was head coach at Eastern Washington. The experience coaching at the mid-major level is something that Benson believes will help in Auburn's re-building process.

"Coming from a mid-major, you learn that you have to manufacture success without a lot of resources," said Benson. "Being at Auburn, with more resources, it gives us two strong, experienced leaders to balance out Auburn's great push toward success."

While at NAU, had 20 student-athletes earned 36 NAU Golden Eagle Scholar-Athlete awards and 11 student-athletes earned 20 academic All-Big Sky Conference honors.

The 2007 season saw Campbell's Lumberjacks finish sixth in the conference, earning their first Big Sky Tournament berth since the 2004 season.

Chris Campbell

During the 2007 season, Campbell had the opportunity to mentor Kim Babcock, who led the nation in kills per game.

Campbell spent the 2003 season as an assistant at Northern Arizona before taking over the head coach position. Before his arrival in Flagstaff, Ariz., Campbell spent one season as the head coach at Division II Mississippi University for Women and three seasons at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette.

In three seasons Louisiana-Lafayette, Campbell directed the program to two second-place finishes in the Sun Belt Conference West Division. During the 2001 season, he led the Cajuns to a No. 9 ranking in the NCAA South Region.

Yantis joins the Auburn volleyball staff full-time after assisting last season in an administrative role. The Hanover, Pa. native brings 14 years of volleyball experience on the Division I level, including four years of playing experience.

"April is very task-oriented and has a great pedigree in volleyball coaching from her experience at Georgia, Miami, Virginia tech and Duke," said Benson. "Her on-court training and office work is impeccable."

Yantis adds familiarity with the SEC to the staff as her last assignment was as the top assistant coach at Georgia in 2006.

Prior to her stint at Georgia, Yantis was at the University of Miami, where she was an assistant coach for three seasons. In 2002, Yantis helped guide the Hurricanes to an NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearance.

At Miami, Yantis was primarily responsible for coaching the outside hitters, and two of her athletes were selected to the American Volleyball Coaches Association All-Northeast Region team. One was also selected as the BIG EAST Player of the Year.

Yantis was an assistant at Duke during the 1999 and 2000 seasons, where she coached the outside hitters and helped the Blue Devils to an NCAA Tournament appearance.

Yantis' coaching career began at the University of Pennsylvania where she was an assistant coach from 1998-1999.

A standout player at Drexel from 1994-97, Yantis recorded 30 kills in a match four times in her career. A member of the team from 1994-1997, she was the first player in America East Conference history to be named all-conference three consecutive years. Yantis earned the Mary Semanki award, which is given to Drexel's most outstanding female athlete. Yantis holds the record for all-time kills and digs, and was named the Dragons' most valuable player for three straight years.