University of North Dakota volleyball coach David Nguyen announced the hiring of AnnaBelle Tomei as assistant coach for the Fighting Hawks on February 2, 2026.
"We are excited and grateful to have AnnaBelle join our staff," said Nguyen. "She is going to bring great energy and a relentless work ethic. Her ability to relate and communicate to our players will make her a great asset in the gym. I can't wait to see her growth with the team."
Tomei comes to Grand Forks after spending two seasons as a Graduate Assistant at VCU, helping the Rams go 28-8 in Atlantic-10 play. She had a plethora of responsibilities, from setting up video and technology for all practices and competitions, to leading individual/small-group skill sessions and coordinating recruiting visits.
"I am incredibly grateful to David for the opportunity to join his staff and for the trust he has placed in me at this stage of my career," said Tomei. "From the moment I connected with him, it was clear how special this program and university are. I am thankful to the athletic department and the university for the warm welcome. I am excited to continue learning, work with our student-athletes and help this program move forward together!"
A native of West Chicago, Ill., Tomei played five years of collegiate volleyball, four at Oakland University and one at VCU. She was a setter who totaled 2,445 career assists, across 477 sets, good for 5.13 assists/set.
She led her team in assists all five seasons, being a a two-time team captain for Oakland from 2021-22. She was a CSC Academic All-District selection in 2022 and an Academic All-Horizon League recipient in 2021. In her one season at VCU, Tomei played with current UND libero,Â
Katie Paez.
Tomei graduated from Oakland University in 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and earned her Master of Sport Leadership from VCU in Dec. of 2025.
