Athletics > Volleyball > Coaching Staff
Kent Clayberg
Head coach

Kent Clayberg is in his sixth season as head volleyball coach and his 10th year on the Central volleyball staff.  He was an assistant coach for four years before being promoted to associate head coach in 2002 and then head coach in 2003.

A 1990 Central graduate, Clayberg has compiled a 131-48 (.732) record in five seasons as head coach, winning at least a share of five Iowa Conference titles and four NCAA Division III playoff berths. He was the 2007 Iowa Conference coach of the year after sharing the honor in 2003 and 2005.

Clayberg has been an instrumental part of a Dutch program which has produced three NCAA Division III championships, 11 NCAA playoff berths and 12 consecutive Iowa Conference titles, with 17 league crowns overall. Kent Clayberg

He has twice been selected to coach all-star squads in international competition through USA Athletes International, Inc. He coached a Division III team in the Netherlands in 2001 and took a squad of Division II all-stars to the Northern University Games in Cairn, Australia in 2005.

He previously was an elementary school teacher at Boone, Iowa. He earned his master's degree in education with a concentration in exercise physiology from Iowa State University. He was a student coach for the Cyclone svolleyball team for one season and served as a club coach as well.

E-mail: claybergk@central.edu
Phone: (641) 628-5139

Cindy Nikkel
Assistant coach

Former Cal State-Stanislaus head coach Cindy Nikkel is in her first season as an assistant volleyball coach at Central.

A Dordt College graduate, Nikkel was the volleyball program director at Ripon (Calif.) Christian High School from 1987-98, leading her team to runner-up state finishes twice and earning coach of the year honors five times.

Nikkel was head coach at NCAA Division II Cal State-Stanislaus from 1998-2004. The squad’s 19-13 record in 2002 set a school mark for most season wins. She received an NCAA Sportsmanship Award in 2000.

After moving to Pella with her family Nikkel served as eighth grade coach at Pella Christian and also coached an AAU team. She is an experienced camp and clinic instructor

"Cindy is an experienced coach at various levels of competition and has a great amount of teaching knowledge she can pass along to our players,” said head coach Kent Clayberg. “She has a heart for coaching and for the athletes and fits the ideals of our program perfectly. She brings a different perspective to our program that we’re very excited about.

“Cindy is a hard-working coach whose purpose goes far beyond winning volleyball matches. We’re thrilled that she’s agreed to become part of Central’s program and she’s already making a big impact on our team.”

E-mail: nikkelc@central.edu

Catie Brand
Assistant coach

Catie Brand is entering her fourth season as assistant volleyball coach at Central.

Brand, a 2004 Central graduate, was a four-year volleyball letterwinner for the Dutch. The Davenport , Iowa native was a three-time NCAA Division III tournament participant, and a member of Central's 2000 national championship squad. Brand was a first-team All-Iowa Conference and All-AVCA Division III Central Region selection in 2003 and was twice named the Iowa Conference female athlete of the week. A team co-captain and MVP, Brand closed her career ranking fourth on Central's career kills charts (1,224) and sixth in career blocks (350).

Brand served as a junior high volleyball coach in LeMars for one year and now is a teacher at the Pella Middle School.

Alicia Whisner
Assistant coach

Alicia Whisner is entering her second season as assistant volleyball coach.

A 2007 Central graduate, Whisner was a four-time letterwinner in both volleyball and women's track and field and a three-time academic all-Iowa Conference honoree in both sports. She was a two-time volleyball co-captain, helping Central win or share four Iowa Conference titles and make three NCAA playoff appearances. Whisner was given the team's Academic Award and Leadership Award in 2006

Whisner was a four-time all-America honoree in women's track and field, capturing the NCAA Division III championship in the javelin in 2007. She was a team co-captain in 2007 and received the team's Most Valuable Field Event Performer.

Following the season Whisner was awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. She was also named as a national finalist for the 2007 7NCAA Woman of the Year Award.