WVB's Kelli Miller Phillips Signs Contract Extension Through 2029 Season

MUNCIE, Ind. - - Ball State University Director of Athletics Jeff Mitchell announced Thursday (July 3) that head women's volleyball coach Kelli Miller Phillips has signed a contract extension which will run through the 2029 season.

"We are thrilled to extend Coach Phillips' contract as we continue to build on the incredible success Ball State Women's Volleyball enjoys," Mitchell said. "Her leadership, vision, and dedication to both the athletic and academic excellence of our student-athletes make her an outstanding representative of our program, and I believe our most competitive days are ahead of us."

Phillips, who will enter her 10th season as head coach in 2025, has guided the Cardinals to a 171-98 (.636) overall record during her tenure, including a dominant 105-44 (.705) mark in Mid-American Conference (MAC) play. Under her leadership, Ball State has made five postseason appearances, including three NCAA Tournament berths (2019, 2021, 2022) and two National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) appearances (2018, 2023).

"I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to continue leading the Ball State Women's Volleyball program," Phillips said. "Muncie and Ball State have been a huge part of my life for so long, and I will continue to work to represent this community and university with pride. I want to thank Jeff Mitchell and President Mearns for their continued support of me and this program. Their support, combined with amazing student-athletes, make this journey so rewarding. I'm excited for the future!"

In 2021, Phillips was named both MAC Coach of the Year and AVCA Midwest Region Coach of the Year after leading Ball State to a remarkable 30-4 record: the program's fourth-ever 30-win season. That squad set program records for winning percentage (.882) and hitting percentage (.265), tied the record for consecutive wins (20) and earned a first-round NCAA Tournament victory over Big Ten powerhouse Michigan.

She earned MAC Coach of the Year honors again in 2022 after guiding the Cardinals to a 24-9 (15-3 MAC)record and an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, marking just the third time in program history the team earned an at-large berth. Phillips has also led Ball State to two MAC Tournament titles (2019, 2021), two MAC regular season championships (2021, 2022) and five MAC West Division crowns (2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022).

Under her leadership, Ball State's student-athletes have collected 20 All-MAC First Team honors, five All-MAC Second Team/Honorable Mention accolades, 10 MAC All-Freshman awards, four MAC Freshman of the Year honors (2019, 2021, 2023 & 2024) and two MAC Setter of the Year awards (2018 & 2022).

Off the court, Phillips' teams have excelled academically as well. In each of her first nine seasons, Ball State has earned the prestigious American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award. Notably, the team led the Ball State athletics department with a 3.707 term grade-point average and a 3.671 cumulative GPA in the spring of 2019.

Before taking over as head coach at Ball State, Phillips served as an assistant coach for the Cardinals for six seasons, contributing to a 119-68 overall and 64-32 MAC record under retired head coach Steve Shondell. During that time, Ball State won the 2010 MAC regular season championship, earned an at-large berth into the 2011 NCAA Tournament and captured the 2013 MAC West Division crown.

WVB's Kelli Miller Phillips Signs Contract Extension Through 2029 Season

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