Steve Benson - Head Coach (Fourth Season - North Park '93)

Steve Benson enters his fourth season in 2008-09 as men's and women's volleyball coach at Eastern Mennonite University. In his first season, he improved the women's squad from 2-23 prior to his arrival to 5-20. The Lady Royals again improved upon their performance as the team reached the ODAC Tournament for the first time in three seasons last year. Meanwhile, the men went 19-8 in 2006, upsetting top-seeded Stevens Tech in the NECVA championship tournament, and finishing ninth nationally in the AVCA rankings. The 2008 Royals again reached the NECVA Tournament and finished the season 10th nationally.

The 2006 men's squad garnered several awards including a Second Team All-Conference for middle-blocker Dominick Porter. Porter was also named NECVA and Western Division Player of the Week in his first season under Benson. The Royals also finished the season leading the country in hitting percentage (.331) with Medaille the next closest at .308.

In 2007, the EMU men finished a record breaking season with another runner-up finish in the NECVA Tournament. The team finished with a record 22 wins while also shattering 19 other records. Brandon Ratliff was named Co-Western Conference Player of the Year while garnering a First Team All-NECVA selection with teammate Ryan Detweiler. The Royals finished the year ranked eighth nationally in the AVCA rankings.

Last year the men's team again featured the reigning NECVA Western Division Rookie of the Year as Frankie Coto won the award following a breakout year from Justin Reesor who was honored in 2007. Setter Ben Yoder also led the nation for most of the year in assists per game with Calen Hochstetler and Ethan Fry moving to sixth and seventh on the career digs list. The 57 wins by Benson over the time he has been at EMU is also the highest total of any men's volleyball coach in the 18 years the sport has been at varsity status.

Benson came to EMU from Lake-Sumter Community College in Leesburg, Fla., where he served as women's volleyball assistant coach for three seasons and head coach for the last two seasons. Under his supervision, the Lakers won at least 20 matches in four of five seasons and qualified for the state tournament in each of the last four seasons.

Prior to that, Benson spent four years as head coach at Leesburg High School in Florida. Over the years, he has gained experience at all age levels and at various degrees of competitiveness. In addition to his collegiate and scholastic coaching experience, he has coached club volleyball for six years, covering ages 12-18. In 2003 he guided the 16-and-under team to a first-place finish in the state of Florida, and his 2001 squad finished runner-up in the 16-and-under club division.

In addition, Benson has national coaching experience with the High Performance Program. In 2002 he assisted the Junior National age group for Team Florida, which finished tied for seventh. In 2004 he was an assistant coach with the Youth National age group for Team Florida and helped guide the team to the national championship. In 2005, he coached the High Performance age group for Team Florida which went on to finish third in the national tournament.

During the summer of 2007, Benson was selected as a training coach of the USA Select A1 Boys team. Also while in Florida he served as a assistant coach for Team Florida, in the USA Volleyball High Performance Championships in Ft. Lauderdale. Benson also served as a coach for the developmental camp at George Mason University in Washington, D.C.

Benson played four years of collegiate volleyball at North Park University, an NCAA Division III institution in Chicago, Ill. In his junior and senior seasons, he also filled the role of coach for the Vikings. He graduated from North Park in 1993 with a degree in Physical Education. He went on to receive his Masters of Education from Troy State University in 2004.

"I'm excited to be coming to coach at a college that is similar to where I attended school and learned to love volleyball. I also enjoy helping students grow through the game of volleyball," Benson commented upon his hiring.

At EMU, Benson is the first dual men's and women's volleyball coach in the history of the programs. He currently resides in Massanutten, Va. with wife Melissa and children Tyler and Alexa.

Susan Burkholder - Assistant Coach (First Season, Montreat '03)

Burkholder comes to EMU as an assistant coach after playing her collegiate career at Tusculum College, Messiah College, and Montreat College.

Burkholder spent two years as a missionary to Fiji in 2005, and 2006 and currently works as a Foster Care Social Worker at Harrisonburg Rockingham Social Services.

Her favorite thing about working at EMU and in athletics is that, “it’s like being a part of a big family.”

Burkholder currently resides in Harrisonburg, Va., and is working on her graduate degree from Radford University.

Kristina Zaccaria - Assistant Coach (First Season, EMU '07)

Zaccaria returns to the Lady Royals as an assistant coach after playing for coach Benson from 2004-2007. Zaccaria was a setter all three years she was on the squad and accumulated 1,114 career assists along with 262 digs.

Originally from Mt. Sidney, Va., Zaccaria currently resides in Harrisonburg, Va., and is working on her graduate degree from James Madison University in special education.