QU Announces New Men’s Volleyball Head Coach
Quincy University has announced Caren Kemner as the next head men’s volleyball coach. Kemner comes to QU from Culver-Stockton College, where she served as the head men’s volleyball coach for the past four years.
“Caren Kemner has been a world-class athlete and an accomplished professional and coach,” said Brian McGee, QU President. “She is ideally suited to coach our team in the highly competitive Midwestern Collegiate Volleyball Association. We look forward to seeing Coach Kemner’s student-athletes perform academically and athletically at the highest level.”
A Quincy native, Kemner played volleyball and softball for two years at the University of Arizona before joining the U.S. National Volleyball Team in 1985 and competing in three consecutive Olympic Games. She helped the United States capture the bronze medal in 1992 in Barcelona. She competed for the USA for 15 years. Considered one of the best female volleyball players during her career, Kemner was a six-time recipient of United States Olympic Committee Female Athlete of the year, five-time recipient of the Team USA Volleyball Most Valuable Player Award, and named the FIVA Best Female Volleyball Player of the World and Volleyball World Cup Most Valuable Player.
“Caren is the right person to lead our Men’s Volleyball Program into a successful new era. She knows the challenges the competition presents in the conference we compete in,” said Josh Rabe ’01, QU’s new athletic director. “Her knowledge, connections and expectations are unmatched in the volleyball world. Anytime you can get a former Olympic medalist as a resource to advance a collegiate athletic program, it is a great day!”
When Kemner returned home to Quincy to care for her elderly parents, she opened a volleyball club in Quincy and coached for two seasons at Quincy Notre Dame High School. In 2011, she accepted the position as women’s volleyball head coach at Culver-Stockton. She transitioned to the men’s volleyball program as head coach in 2017. In her four seasons as the men’s head coach, Kemner’s teams have produced 11 all-conference players, including two first-team and two-second team selections, six scholar-athletes, and one NAIA first-team All-American.
“Having grown up across the street from Quincy University, it goes without saying that this opportunity to return to QU is in so many ways a homecoming,” said Kemner. “My life has always been about journeys, and with this step to be a part of the Hawk family, I have come full circle!”
The Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) is the Midwest’s premier volleyball conference providing the foundation for the sport in the region at every competitive level, from juniors to the United States national teams. Established in 1961, MIVA is the nation’s first men’s college volleyball league. Currently, eight universities compete in the league including, Ball State, Lewis, Lindenwood, McKendree, The Ohio State, Purdue Fort Wayne and Quincy. QU joined MIVA in 1994. Highly competitive, the conference has produced five national championship teams in the past ten years.
Founded in 1860 by Franciscan friars, Quincy University is celebrating 160 years as a small Catholic university emphasizing the sciences, liberal arts and the professions. Quincy University offers undergraduate, graduate and adult education programs integrating practical experience and Franciscan values. Faculty and advisors work with students to design customized success plans to help them graduate on time, find their passion and prepare them for life. QU is a member of NCAA Division II for intercollegiate athletics. For more information, please visit e08.storesoo.com or contact the Office of Community Relations at (217) 228-5275 or communityrelations@storesoo.com. Quincy University. Success by Design.
