Following her first year as head coach for Southern Utah University volleyball, Kacey Nady is adding to her staff. The team announced former Second-Team All-American volleyball player Berkeley Oblad to be added as the new assistant coach.
Oblad was a middle blocker at the University of Utah where she was one of just four players all-time to ever record 1,000 kills and 500 blocks across her career. She also helped lead the team to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA National Championships two separate times.
After she graduated in 2019 with a degree in graphic design, Oblad played professionally overseas. In 2021, she played in the Taiwanese Top Volleyball League where she played for Top Speed. She was an All-Star selection in her only season with the club. She also spent time in Hungary and Paris.
Oblad decided she wanted to pursue a career in coaching which brought her back to the United States.
Her previous coaching experiences include being a head coach of a youth club team while she was in college and coaching at summer camps each year she played.
“I’m incredibly excited to be a part of the program here at Southern Utah,” said Oblad. “I am very impressed with what Coach [Nady] has been doing here at Southern Utah, and all the things that she wants to do from a cultural standpoint. One of the things that I am most proud of from my playing career is how I focused on building a strong culture within the program during my time at Utah and I want to help do the exact same thing here.”
Nady and the Thunderbirds finished last season 6-22 overall and 2-14 in the Big Sky Conference in her first season with the team. Nady was not even announced as head coach until just three weeks before the team’s first match. With a full offseason, a hand-picked assistant coach and a move to the Western Athletic Conference, Nady now has the chance to make this team her own.
“The day [Oblad] was added to the staff was the day that this program got better,” said Nady. “Her knowledge and experience from playing at such a high level is invaluable and will elevate our program to new heights.”
Article By: Christian Esparza
sports@suunews.net
Photo Courtesy of SUU Athletics
