Olympian, National Champion, and experienced team leader Kayla Banwarth was named the head coach of the Atlanta Vibe in July of 2024, ahead of the team’s second season in the Pro Volleyball Federation.
“Hiring Coach Banwarth was a clear next move for us as we strive to build a world-class sports organization and bring home Atlanta’s next pro sports championship,” stated team owner Colleen Craig. “Banwarth’s experience at the highest level of volleyball, combined with passion for the sport and high volleyball IQ, make her an ideal candidate to lead the Atlanta Vibe into the future. We give her credit for shaping the 2025 roster with returning stars and new talent, as she already has a vision for the team.”
Banwarth comes to the Atlanta Vibe after an impressive debut from the city’s newest professional sports team, one where the team finished with a league-best 19-6 record to claim the PVF Regular Season Champions title and a No. 1 overall seed in the inaugural league Championship tournament.
“I am so excited for the opportunity to be a part of a first-class organization like the Atlanta Vibe and lead a team of extremely high-caliber athletes,” said Banwarth. “I want to thank the Vibe leadership for entrusting me with this team as we work to set the standard for professional volleyball in the United States. To be a head coach of a professional team in a true sports city like Atlanta feels like a dream come true, and coaching in the Pro Volleyball Federation truly couldn’t be a better fit for me. I am excited to get started and get to work with the best volleyball players in the world as we compete for a championship.”
Before coming to Atlanta, Banwarth spent three seasons as the head coach of the Ole Miss volleyball team, turning the Rebels’ program around and helping to lead them to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 11 seasons and their first 20-win season in eight years.
Banwarth and the Rebels also recorded the best turnaround in Division I Volleyball in her time in Oxford. Ole Miss improved from 1-19 in 2020-21 to 21-9 in 2021, a 65 percent increase in winning percentage. Further, of the teams who competed during the shortened 2020-21 season, Ole Miss was one of two Power Five teams and five programs nationally to see a 20-plus win improvement from the previous year.
Under Banwarth, the Rebels broke multiple program records and opened the season 12-0, the second-best start to a season in program history, to stand as the last remaining undefeated SEC team. Banwarth led her squad to its first top-15 win since 2010, taking down No. 15 Western Kentucky on the road. As a team, Ole Miss finished tied for fifth in the SEC in 2021 with 10 conference victories, including sweeps of Missouri, South Carolina and Alabama.
As a player, her illustrious career with Team USA garnered eight medals in international competition, including a bronze at the 2016 Olympic games. She was part of the USA National Team that won the 2014 FIVB World Championship gold medal when the team defeated China 3–1 in the final match, the first gold medal for the U.S. at a major tournament.
Banwarth’s playing career began at the University of Nebraska, where she was a standout libero for four years, and where she later returned to begin her professional career as an assistant coach. In her time in Lincoln, she helped guide Nebraska to four conference championships, three Final Four appearances and a national title.
As the Huskers’ assistant coach, she focused on liberos and passers in addition to leading Nebraska’s recruiting efforts. She helped direct Nebraska to a National Championship in 2017 and a repeat appearance in the title match in 2018.
In April 2019, Banwarth was named one of the American Volleyball Coaches’ Association’s 30 Under 30, one of just 11 female coaches in NCAA Division I to be recognized.
In her first season as a Husker assistant, Nebraska won the 2017 NCAA Championship and repeated as Big Ten champions with a 32-4 overall record and 19-1 mark in conference play. Under her guidance, setter Kelly Hunter was named the NCAA Championship co-most outstanding player, an AVCA first-team All-American and the Big Ten Setter of the Year. She was also the PrepVolleyball.com Player of the Year, while libero Kenzie Maloney was a PrepVolleyball.com first-team All-American and an NCAA Championship All-Tournament selection.
In 2018, the Huskers reached the NCAA Championship match once again, and Maloney was an NCAA Championship All-Tournament selection. Nebraska’s defense was one of the best in the nation, in large part thanks to the Huskers’ back-row passers. Nebraska finished the season with just a .144 opponent hitting percentage, which ranked third in the nation, first in the Big Ten, and was the Huskers’ best mark since 2005. Maloney was an AVCA third-team All-American and an All-Big Ten selection.
The Huskers were one of the top defensive units in the nation once in again 2019, holding opponents to a .153 opponent hitting percentage, which ranked eighth in the nation and first in the Big Ten. Nebraska reached the Elite Eight for the eighth-straight year, and freshman libero Kenzie Knuckles was an All-Big Ten Freshman Team member.
Before returning to Lincoln, Banwarth served as a volunteer assistant for two seasons for the men’s volleyball team at Pepperdine in 2015 and 2016. In her first season, the squad went 13-11, and she helped lead the Waves’ back line to rank 36th nationally with 7.69 digs per set.
After walking on at Nebraska in 2007, Banwarth became the starting libero midway through her freshman season and remained in that role through 2010, receiving All-Big 12 honorable mention as a junior and senior. She led the Huskers to the NCAA semifinals in 2008 and to three Big 12 titles. She was Nebraska’s all-time career leader in digs with 1,706 until 2016. Banwarth was also a two-time academic All-Big 12 selection and a three-time Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week.
In 2011, Banwarth embarked on a professional playing career that featured six years on the U.S. National Team. She also played professionally overseas in Azerbaijan.
Banwarth was named the Best Receiver at the 2015 NORCECA Championship and helped Team USA win gold there and at the FIVB World Grand Prix in 2016. In 2014, she aided Team USA to the FIVB World Championship, the first gold medal for the U.S. at a major tournament. In 2016, Banwarth anchored the squad at the Olympic Games in Rio De Janeiro, helping the U.S. to the bronze medal.
In 2013 Banwarth was named USA Volleyball’s Female Indoor Most Improved Player of the Year, and in 2012 and 2013, she led the team to gold medals in consecutive Pan American Cups. Also, in 2013, she was the runner-up in the Best Digger category at the FIVB World Grand Champions Cup after posting 3.19 digs per set. In her first international competition in 2011, Banwarth helped USA to a bronze medal at the Pan American Games.
Born Jan. 21, 1989, Banwarth is a native of Dubuque, Iowa and earned her bachelor’s degree in English from Nebraska in 2012.
