Kris Naber - Beach Volleyball Coach - Grand Canyon University Athletics

Kris Naber

Title:
Head Coach
Email:
Kristine.Naber@gcu.edu
Phone:
602-639-6034

Kris Naber begins her 21st season at the helm of the Grand Canyon women’s volleyball program in 2015.

Naber starred at the university as a player and has done the same as a coach. The program’s all-time winningest mentor, Naber picked up her 300th career victory in 2013, leading the charges into the first season at the NCAA Division I level. The program’s first-ever All-American (named to the NAIA and Asics Tiger teams in 1989), Naber has a 325-273 record during her GCU tenure.

The veteran coach also led the school’s beach volleyball team in 2014. That season, it sent No. 1 pairs Mackenzie Phelps and Kelli Dallmann to the AVCA pairs national tournament.

Prior to making the splash into Division I, Naber led the Antelopes to the program’s first back-to-back Division II tournament appearances in 2011 and 2012.

In 2012, GCU had its second-best season in school history, finishing 24-6 and reaching the Division II West Regional semifinals. Along with boasting one of the most successful seasons as a team, Naber tutored two All-Americans in setter Kristen Preach, a third-team AVCA All-American; and libero Mackenzie Phelps, a third team Daktronics, Inc., All-American and honorable mention AVCA choice. Preach was also selected as a Capital One Academic All-American. Preach, Phelps and Kristen Johannsen were named to the academic all-district team.

The 2011 regular season ended in a school-record 14-match winning streak. After being picked to finish sixth in the preseason Pacific West Conference poll, GCU went 22-7 and secured its first postseason bid since 1995. Adding to the success of the season, Naber reached two milestones. Early in the season she picked up her 250th career win and later coached her 500th match as the GCU head coach.

Naber has had seven 20-plus win seasons, including four in the last six years.

In 1999, her fifth year at the school, Grand Canyon posted a 25-7 record, Naber’s most wins in a season. In her initial year as head coach, she led GCU to the NCAA Southwest Regional and was named the California Collegiate Athletic Conference Co-Coach of the Year.

A former GCU volleyball player, she passed her former coach and predecessor Terri Smith in all-time coaching wins with a 3-0 victory at Chico State on Nov. 7, 2003.

As a player at Grand Canyon, Naber chalked up numerous honors for her accomplishments. In 1988, she recorded 1,065 assists, 481 digs and 43 service aces, helping her earn all-district honors for that season. During the 1989 campaign, she was named Grand Canyon’s first volleyball All-American for the NAIA and Asics Tiger Teams. She was also selected to the all-district team, the All-Southwest Region team and earned Most Valuable Player accolades for the Rocky Mountain Association Classic and the Canyon Court Classic.

Naber can be found in several places in the Grand Canyon record books. She ranks sixth in career assists (2,306) and eighth in career digs (996), demonstrating her expertise with both offensive and defensive skills. Naber is tied for first for games played (150 in 1988).

After her playing days, Naber served as a graduate assistant under Smith. From there, she moved on to Agua Fria High School, where her teams advanced to three state tournaments during her four-year tenure.

Naber earned her degree in Physical Education for secondary teachers from GCU in 1991. Formerly Kris Belcher, she has three children, Nickolas, Shelby and Tatum.

COACHING RECORDS
Year	School	All	Pct.	Conference/Finish
1995	Grand Canyon	21-10	.677	7-5/California Collegiate
1996	Grand Canyon	18-13	.581	6-6/California Collegiate
1997	Grand Canyon	14-19	.424	5-7/California Collegiate
1998	Grand Canyon	22-9	.710	16-6/California Collegiate
1999	Grand Canyon	25-7	.781	17-5/California Collegiate
2000	Grand Canyon	18-12	.600	14-8/California Collegiate
2001	Grand Canyon	14-15	.483	9-12/California Collegiate
2002	Grand Canyon	13-17	.433	8-14/California Collegiate
2003	Grand Canyon	11-16	.407	10-12/California Collegiate
2004	Grand Canyon	6-18	.250	Independent
2005	Grand Canyon	14-18	.438	Independent
2006	Grand Canyon	17-14	.548	8-7/3^rd Pacific West
2007	Grand Canyon	7-20	.259	2-8/7^th Pacific West
2008	Grand Canyon	15-15	.500	6-8/5^th Pacific West
2009	Grand Canyon	21-8	.724	10-6/4^th Pacific West
2010	Grand Canyon	10-19	.345	5-11/7^th Pacific West
2011	Grand Canyon	22-7	.759	12-4/2^nd Pacific West
2012	Grand Canyon	24-6	.800	11-5/4^th Pacific West
2013	Grand Canyon	12-19	.387	4-12/7^th Western Athletic
2014	Grand Canyon	21-11
	Overall Record:	325-273	(.543) in 20 years