Kristina Newell serves as the Sodak Junior Volleyball Club Director and the AAU National Team Lead Coach.
As the Club Director, Kristina handles day-to-day volleyball operations, including hiring and developing coaches, organizing all aspects of the SoDak Juniors volleyball program, as well as facilitating seasonal camps and clinics.
Prior to joining SoDak Juniors, Kristina was President, Juniors Program Director and Tournament/ Special Events Director for Shakopee Volleyball (SVA) in Minnesota. She was also the Head Coach for the SVA 12s & 14s teams. Kristina moved to South Dakota in 2020 where she coached for Pentagon as their 12 Blue Head Coach for 2 years before helping to create SoDak Junior Volleyball in April of 2022. In SoDak Juniors ingurural season, Kristina was the 14 Nationals Head Coach, and in 2023 she was the head coach for the 12-1s and 14-3s teams.
Kristina grew-up in Apple Valley, MN where her main sport was figure skating and was a member of the Burnsville-Minnesota Valley Figure Skating Club. She got involved with volleyball while attending the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, MN by playing on their co-ed intramural team, and then again as a coach in 2008 when her daughter took up the sport in 4th grade.
Kristina currently lives in Brandon, SD with her husband and three dogs.