The UIndy volleyball program welcomed another former All-American to its coaching staff in March 2025, as head coach Haley Kindall announced the addition of Stephanie Sylvester.
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Sylvester was a three-time All-American setter at Wheeling University before spending two seasons as a graduate assistant coach for the Cardinals from 2021-22.Â
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Wheeling continued to excel with Sylvester on the coaching staff, going 56-14 in two seasons with NCAA DII Atlantic Regional appearances. Sylvester mentored Cardinal setter Karly Niesen to an All-America selection in 2022 and a DII-leading 11.83 assists per set in 2021. Niesen was named Mountain East Conference (MEC) Player of the Year, joining Sylvester as Wheeling setters to do so in a span of three seasons.
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Sylvester made two appearances in the DII national quarterfinals during her playing career, including in 2016 when Kindall was a senior with Wheeling. The Cardinals won 144 matches with Sylvester on the roster, including a perfect 64-0 in MEC play. She earned AVCA All-America distinction her final three seasons, including Atlantic Region Player of the Year, Mountain East Player of the Year, and NCAA statistic champion (assists per set) as a senior in 2019.
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A native of Oregon, Ohio, Sylvester graduated from Wheeling ranked second with 5,123 career assists, while also scooping up 1,093 digs. The setter was also efficient on the attack, racking up 246 kills on .268 hitting and recording 62 service aces.
