Bethel College
The athletic department has announced the appointment of Adriana Leake as the next head coach of Thresher volleyball.
Leake becomes the ninth head coach in the history of the program, dating back to 1973.
“Adriana rose to the top of a very strong candidate list,” said Bethel Director of Athletics Tony Hoops. “She was well referred from the beginning of our search process and exceeded expectations during the interview process.”
Leake comes to Bethel after spending the past two seasons as the head coach at Wichita Northwest High School.
The Grizzlies won a Kansas 5A Sub-State Championship this season, with Leake named the Wichita Area Co-Coach of the Year by the Wichita Eagle following her team’s efforts this year.
“I am honored to be named head coach of a program with a history as rich as Bethel volleyball’s,” Leake said.
“When I walk into the gym and see those banners from years ago, I’m excited about the opportunity to breathe new life into the Bethel College volleyball program,” she continued.
“There’s work to do, but I know we can build a program that the community and alumni will be proud of.”
Leake has previous experience with the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference, both as a coach and a player.
Originally from Texas, Leake became the all-time record holder for career assists at Sterling (Kan.) College with 4,264 from 2009-12.
She was also a four-time All-KCAC player during her career, including a 1st-Team appearance her senior season.
After graduating from Sterling in 2013, Leake joined the staff as an assistant coach during the 2013-14 and 2015-16 seasons. She also spent time as an assistant at Friends University during 2018-19.
“Adriana is very familiar with small-college volleyball and has connections all across the country,” said Hoops.
“Her work at Northwest speaks for itself. We believe she is a rising star in the volleyball coaching profession and we are extremely fortunate to have her lead Bethel College volleyball going forward.”
Leake also brings connections to Bethel on the club volleyball circuit. She is currently part of the Wichita Legacy club organization, helping develop players at all age levels in the sport.
“Adriana’s demeanor is very similar to past legendary coaches who served as the foundation of Bethel College volleyball,” Hoops said.
“Her confidence, knowledge, communication and professionalism make her the perfect fit to take over the proud Bethel volleyball [tradition].”
Leake has a B.S. in business administration from Sterling College and an M.S. in education from Fort Hays State University.
Bethel is a four-year liberal arts college founded in 1887 and is the oldest Mennonite college in North America. Known for academic excellence, Bethel ranks at #14 in the Washington Monthly list of “Best Bachelor’s Colleges” and #26 in U.S. News & World Report, Best Regional Colleges Midwest, and earned its third-straight NAIA Champions of Character Five-Star Gold Award, based on student service and academic achievement, all for 2020-21; is Zippia.com’s highest ranked Kansas small college with the highest earning graduates; has the #10 RN-to-BSN program in Kansas according to RNtoBSN.com; and is #57 among 829 U.S. colleges and universities named by lendEDU.com as “Best for Financial Aid,” as well as #23 “Safest College Towns in the U.S.,” ranked by lendEDU.com for 2020-21. For more information, see www.bethelks.edu
In sports, Bethel competes in the 13-member KCAC and the NAIA.