Former Santa Clara All-American Nikki Hess '17 is in her first year as a volunteer assistant coach with the Broncos. Hess, hired in February 2019, was a three-time First Team All-West Coast Conference selection at SCU and recorded more career kills (1,518) than any Bronco who spent her entire career in the rally-scoring era.

Most recently, Hess has served as an assistant coach with the 12 Gold and 18 Gold teams at Vision Volleyball Club in Los Gatos, California. From 2017-18, she competed professionally for Switzerland-based Genève Volley while coaching 15- to 18-year-olds at Volleyball Club Étoile-Genève. Hess graduated from Santa Clara in 2017 with a degree in communication.

In 2015, the Scottsdale, Arizona native was named an AVCA Honorable Mention All-American, First Team AVCA All-Pacific North Region and First Team All-WCC for Santa Clara; she amassed 450 kills (4.02/set) as a junior that season. She played an integral part in the Broncos qualifying for back-to-back NCAA Tournaments in 2014 and 2015; the Broncos went 42-19 overall and 25-11 in West Coast Conference play during those seasons. Hess led the team in kills in all four of her years on the Mission campus.

Hess notched 30 dual victories over four seasons of beach volleyball at SCU, competing at exclusively the No. 1 and No. 2 positions. She earned First Team All-WCC honors as a junior in 2016 after posting a Bronco-best 12-4 mark during the league's inaugural season.

"I am beyond excited to be returning to campus and more specifically Leavey Center," Hess said upon being hired. "I have made so many great memories there and I feel as though I can relate with the current players to help them improve as competitors and individuals. Go Broncos!"

Head Coach Erin Lindsey on Hess: "Nikki will be able to contribute so much to our team having been a Bronco student-athlete as well as an All-West Coast Conference and All-American attacker. Being new to Santa Clara, I really value the institutional knowledge she can bring to the staff. She will be an exceptional role model for our student-athletes and a great resource for our passers and pin attackers."