A former defense coach at UMBC will join the volleyball program as an assistant coach, head coach Sarah Bernson announced in a release Monday.

Christian Kiselica spent three seasons at UMBC, where he started as an offensive and setter coach before focusing on defense and the liberos for the past two seasons. He will replace associate coach Nicki Holmes, who left the team in January to head Rhode Island’s program.

“I am extremely grateful and honored to join the coaching staff at GW,” Kiselica said in the release. “I cannot wait to build on the success that Sarah has already established and I am eager to make her vision for the program come to reality.”

While in college at Temple, Kiselica played on the men’s volleyball club team as an outside hitter and a libero. After graduating in 2017, he moved onto Penn, where he served as a volunteer assistant coach for a year.

He also served as the head coach for the Delaware United Volleyball Club and coached on the high school and club volleyball circuit.

Kiselica will join a program that finished the season 15-14 with an 8-6 Atlantic 10 record. The Colonials went to their second A-10 Tournament under Bernson, losing in the first round to La Salle. Nine players are set to return to the program.

“As we continue the work of growing and developing the GW volleyball program, the people that are part of the team’s day-to-day culture and training are key to our continued success,” Bernson said in the release. “This program is poised to perform at a high level this year and Christian can help actualize that plan.”