Kaden Knepper

Kaden Knepper is the Women's Assistant Volleyball Coach at MSU Denver.

Kaden Knepper joined the MSU Denver volleyball coaching staff in March, 2022, after spending three seasons on the staff at Division I Liberty.

Knepper assisted the Flames with practice planning and also helped train their setters. He was also the assistant coach for Liberty's men's club volleyball team.

In 2022, the Roadrunners had another spectacular season. After spending the final four weeks of the regular season ranked at No. 1, MSU Denver settled for No. 3 in the final poll after reaching the South Central Regional final. The Roadrunners' only losses, to Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.) in September and to West Texas A&M in the regional final, were to the two teams that played for the Division II championship. The journey included an elusive victory in the RMAC Tournament's championship match.

For the second straight season in 2022, the Roadrunners ascended to No. 1 in the AVCA's NCAA Division II poll, this time for a four-week run late in the season. The Roadrunners set the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference record by extending their streak of consecutive regular-season league wins to 40 -- MSU Denver's last league loss was at Colorado Mesa on March 4, 2021 -- while completing a second straight 18-0 march through the conference slate. MSU Denver has also won 38 straight regular-season RMAC home matches, dating to 2018. Also in 2022, MSU Denver also had a 24-match winning streak for the second straight year -- both marks are tied for the second-longest streak in program history and the longest in its Division II era. Rylee Hladky earned her second straight All-America first team honor (AVCA) as well as second-team status by the D2CCA. Hladky was also the CSC Academic All-America first team Team Member of the Year. Riley Anderson developed into an All-America third team selection, while Kaylee Corsentino and Kelsey Gordon each earned All-America honorable mention from the AVCA. Hladky was named the D2CCA's region player of the year for the second straight time, while Gordon and Mikayla McClinton each earned all-region second-team recognition from the D2CCA. Hladky was the RMAC Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, and was joined on the All-RMAC first team by Kaylee Corsentino and Kelsey Gordon. The All-RMAC second team included Anderson, McClinton and libero Ashlyn Cianciulli, with honorable mention recognition going to middle blocker Ember Canty and setters Delaney Eckhardt and Amela Qershia. Canty, Cianciulli and Hlady all made the Academic All-RMAC first team, with Corsentino joining that trio on the CSC Academic All-District team.

A Mechanicsburg, Pa., native. Knepper played for Liberty’s club men’s volleyball and beach volleyball teams prior to graduating in 2019. He helped guide the Liberty men’s volleyball team to its best ever finish at Club Nationals. During his senior season, he was named National Collegiate Volleyball Federation All-America first team in addition to being named the East Coast Most Valuable Player. Knepper was voted the Male Athlete of the Year by Liberty Club Sports in 2019. He also earned a gold medal in men’s beach volleyball at the State Games of America.

During his time as a student at Liberty, Knepper served the Club Sports department as a sales assistant. He also completed an internship with Liberty’s youth developmental hockey camp.

He earned a bachelor of science degree in psychology from Liberty, graduating in May 2019. Knepper was named to the Dean’s List all four years and was a member of the honors program from 2016-18.