GREENSBORO- North Carolina A&T head volleyball coach Hal Clifton announced the hiring of Macenzie Richards as the new assistant coach for the program. Richards is familiar to Aggieland, having played for the volleyball program from 2018-2021. As a former Division I athlete and Division II coach, Richards brings a championship mindset and years of experience to the program.
Before returning to A&T, Richards served as the assistant volleyball coach at the University of Illinois of Springfield during the 2022 and 2023 seasons. During the 2022 season, Richards helped the Division II Prairie Stars win 12 games, including a 6-1 record at home. Also, during the 2022 season, Richards helped Prairie Stars defeat the No.13 Lewis University in 2022. In addition to her coaching responsibilities, she assisted with recruiting, fundraising, promoting the program, and managing team travel.
"It is so great having her come home to AggieLand," Clifton said."Macenzie embodies everything that it means to be an Aggie. She graduated summa cum laude and understands what it takes to be a student-athlete. Her experience coaching club and the past two seasons at the University of Illinois Springfield has helped shape her as a coach."
Richards' club experience includes spending a season as the head coach of the Beach South Volleyball Club in High Point, N.C. She trained U14, U15, U16, U17, and U18 level players in practice three times a week. As a student-athlete at A&T, she was a volunteer volleyball coach at Pickerington High School Central.
Richards graduated from A&T with a B.S. degree in criminal justice. During her playing career, she helped the Aggies win their first and only conference tournament championship when they captured the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) title in the spring of 2021. After winning the MEAC, the Aggies played in the program's first-ever NCAA tournament match, earning a COVID forfeit win over Rice before losing to Penn State.
In addition, Richards helped the Aggies make two additional postseason appearances during her career. The Aggies played in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) tournament in 2019 and the fall of 2021. Richards played in 249 sets over 91 matches, compiling 295 kills, 231 digs, and 86 total blocks in her career.
As a former player for A&T from 2018-2022, Richards is familiar with the program's values, making her an ideal mentor and figure for a new generation of volleyball athletes.
