A former All-SIAC outside attacker who helped Fort Valley State reach the NCAA Tournament will join Northern Kentucky coaching staff.
Northern Kentucky announced earlier this week that it hired Chey Cooper to be an assistant coach.
Cooper spent four seasons at George Mason before transferring to join Fort Valley State for the 2024 season. The outside attacker with the Wildcats finished second in the SIAC averaging 0.44 aces per game and had double-digit kills in six matches as the team won the conference championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals.
Along with his playing experience, Cooper served as an assistant coach at UMES last season. Cooper helped guide the first-year program to a winning record and the NEC Tournament semifinals.
Both UMES and Northern Kentucky were the two of the three NCAA Division I schools to add men’s volleyball programs last season.
Northern Kentucky in its inaugural season finished in eighth place in the MIVA and advanced to the conference tournament quarterfinals. The Norse that season also had a roster primarily comprised of freshmen.