Michaela Franklin Hometown: Lincoln, Neb Last College: Kansas State ('04) Position: Assistant Coach Experience: Third Year

Michaela Franklin is in her third season at Marquette where she serves as defensive coordinator, working primarily with the team's passers and outsides. She also is an active recruiter, equipment coordinator and runs Marquette's annual fundraiser, Triplesfest, a 3-on-3 grass volleyball tournament.

She was the first assistant added by head coach Bond Shymansky to his coaching staff at Marquette.

Franklin came to Marquette after spending the previous three years as an assistant at Northern Illinois University, where she helped the Huskies to a 2006 Mid-American Conference West Division championship. While at NIU she helped the team become one of the top academic squads at the school, posting a GPA above 3.0 for seven straight semesters.

"Michaela had a tremendous collegiate playing career and made the rare transition into being a tremendous coach," Shymansky said at the time of her hiring. "She has great training experience and energy in the practice gym, the work ethic to get the little things done to help us get better every day, and the outgoing personality to be an aggressive recruiter on the road. She is simply dazzling, and we are thrilled to have her as a coach on our staff."

Prior to her time at NIU, Franklin played volleyball at Kansas State University from 2002-04, leading the Wildcats to three NCAA Tournament berths and one BIG 12 Conference Championship. At K-State, Franklin was the recipient of the Snell Award for academic success and also earned academic all-conference honors.

Franklin, a native of Lincoln, Neb., returned home upon graduation as an assistant coach with the Nebraska One Volleyball Club 171's before taking the NIU job. Franklin attended Lincoln High School where she earned all-state accolades as a four-year starter.