GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The University of North Dakota and head volleyball coach Jesse Tupac announced the hiring of Kristen (Hahn) Tupac to his staff as the newest Fighting Hawks assistant coach on Tuesday morning.

Kristen Tupac is a former three-time All-American libero at Iowa State, and was the first ever Cyclone to become a full-time member of the USA Women's National Team. She made her first appearance for Team USA in the 2014 NORCECA World Championship Qualifier, helping lead the squad to a Gold Medal while garnering Best Libero and Best Receiver awards along the way. Kristen Tupac also played four seasons of professional volleyball, in Switzerland, Germany, and in the inaugural season of the Athletes Unlimited Pro League here in the USA.

"First and foremost, I want to say thank you to Head Coach Jesse Tupac, Associate Athletic Director Kara Helmig and the rest of the athletic department for the opportunity to join the UND volleyball program," said Kristen Tupac. "I am excited to work with Jesse because of his ability to analyze and teach the game as well as build a culture of fierce learners and competitors. It is clear this team is full of strong women who are hungry to get better on the court. I am blown away by the support from Athletic Director Bill Chaves, Sport Administrator Kara Helmig, and the entire athletics department. There are few places in the country that provide elite level facilities, incredible support from the community and a top-notch education. It is an exciting time to be a Fighting Hawk and I cannot wait to help bring this program to new heights."

"North Dakota volleyball hit a home run with the hire of Kristen," said Jesse Tupac. "She is a total Rockstar as both a coach and as a person; and our program will benefit greatly from her influence, improving our skills as volleyball players and as people."

Kristen Tupac is one of the most decorated collegiate liberos of all-time; garnering three Big 12 Libero of the Year awards, 17 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week Awards (a conference record), and holds numerous records for both Iowa State and the Big 12. During her four years in Ames, she appeared in four NCAA tournaments, including two Sweet 16 appearances (2010 and 2012) and led Iowa State to its best NCAA tournament finish ever with an Elite Eight appearance in 2011. Her unprecedented career led to her being the first member of Team USA in Iowa State History and has led to two different Hall of Fame inductions. Most recently, Kristen Tupac played professionally in the inaugural season for Athletes Unlimited in Dallas, ranking as the highest libero and 10th overall on the leaderboard with 2,825 points. Kristen Tupac also served as a member of the Player Executive Committee for Athletes Unlimited working to secure athletes for the league, coordinate logistics for the season, and to plan and run practices for the players and teams in the league.

No stranger to the coaching world, Kristen Tupac brings extensive coaching experience to Grand Forks from her time in the USA and abroad. Her first venture into the NCAA ranks was in 2016 when she was on staff with the University of Denver, leading the program to its best defensive season to date, as well as a regular season and Summit League Tournament championships, culminating in an NCAA tournament appearance. Kristen Tupac also has experience coaching youth club and High School volleyball in Iowa, California, Colorado, New Mexico, and Switzerland. 

"I have had the pleasure of working directly with Kristen previously at Denver, and seeing the impact she has on the athletes she works with; empowering them to play freely and fiercely, all while loving the game and their experience," Jesse Tupac said. "She has proven she can create one of the most potent defenses and mentor some of the best receivers in the Summit League already, and I can't wait for her to do that here as a Fighting Hawk. There are very few liberos in the history of our sport that have accomplished as much as she has accomplished; and we are lucky to have her experience, wisdom, and perspective to share with our athletes here at UND."

Most recently, Kristen Tupac has been active in the recruiting and administrative sides of sport; working with Athletes Unlimited for both their volleyball and softball professional leagues in an administrative capacity. Prior to being hired at UND, Kristen Tupac owned and operated her own recruiting company, Imperium Recruiting.

Accomplishments:

• Helped lead Denver to the 2016 NCAA Tournament
• Assistant coach for Denver's 2016 Summit League Championship Tournament Team
• AVCA All-America Second Team (2012, 2013)
• AVCA All-Region Team (2012, 2013)
• AVCA All-America honorable mention (2011)
• AVCA All-Region honorable mention (2011)
• All-Big 12 First Team (2012 – unanimous, 2013 – unanimous)
• Big 12 Libero of the Year (2011, 2012, 2013)
• 17-time Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week
• Ameritas Players Challenge All-Tournament Team (2013)
• UND Classic All-Tournament Team (2013)
• Academic All-Big 12 First Team (2011, 2012, 2013)
• Senior CLASS Award Watch List (2013)
• Capital One Academic All-District (2012)
• NCAA Minnesota All-Region Tournament Team (2011)
• Northern Illinois Invitational All-Tournament Team (2011)
• Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll (Spring 2014)
• Five-time Player of the Match – Switzerland (2015)
• MVP of the Swiss Cup Finals (2015)
• Voted Best Receiver and Best Libero – NORCECA World Championship Qualifier (2014)
• Three-time Silver Medalist – Swiss NLA (2018-2019)
• Ranked 10th on the leaderboard for Athletes Unlimited in season one with 2,825 points