ROCHESTER, Mich. – After one season on staff, assistant coach Abby Kanakry has been promoted and has been given the recruiting coordinator title added to her job, as announced by head coach Krista Rice on Tuesday.

"I am thrilled to elevate Abby to the Assistant Coach & Recruiting Coordinator role.  After spending a season with our program, she already embodies the core values of our program and athletic department," said Rice. "Abby's passion, character, and commitment make it clear she has a very bright future with us, and I am excited for the impact she will make as we continue to build this Golden Grizzly volleyball program together."

Kanakry was a two-time First Team All-Horizon League player and 2023 finalist for the Horizon League Sportsmanship award after five playing seasons at Northern Kentucky. She came to Rochester as an assistant after working in the private sector and coaching with SPARC and the Unified Volleyball Club in the metro-Detroit area.

The Grosse Pointe, Mich. native was a standout player for Northern Kentucky before playing professionally overseas for Alianza Lima in Peru in early 2024. As a middle blocker/opposite hitter, Kankary played in 134 matches for NKU, tallying up 1,324 kills, which marks her 13th in program history. She also holds the school record in block assists (345), as she earned 399 kills operating off of a .272 hitting clip during her final season.

She was a four-time Horizon League All-Tournament team member and led the Norse with 10 kills in their most recent NCAA Tournament match in 2019 against Michigan at the Lexington Regional.

Prior to Northern Kentucky, Kanakry played varsity volleyball at Grosse Pointe North, amassing a .350 hitting clip throughout her four seasons, while posting a .479 hitting percentage and 302 kills her senior year.

How to Follow Oakland Volleyball: For complete information on Oakland Volleyball, follow the team on X at @OaklandWVB and head coach Krista Rice at @KKg1007. The team is also on Instagram.