Nike Volleyball Camp at UC Riverside

Nicky Cannon was named Head Women’s Volleyball Coach on April 18, 2022 and enters her third season in 2024.

Cannon elevated UCR Volleyball tremendously in year two, recording the program's most conference victories since 2015, highest conference finish since 2019 and best start in the program's Big West history at 3-1. Cannon also led outside hitter Mylei Vargas-Deason to an All-Big West Honorable Mention selection.

Cannon, who spent the previous three seasons as an assistant coach with Cal State Fullerton before making the move to the Inland Empire, became the program's fourth head coach since its inception in 1970 (originally at the Division II level before UCR Athletics transitioned to the Division I level just over 20 years ago).

Cannon turned over a new leaf with the program's energy and culture in her first season in 2022, bringing in experienced setter Taylor Hifo. Under Cannon's tutelage, Hifo recorded the Big West's first triple double since 2018 and her 500th career assist. Hifo also earned All-Big West Honorable Mention while Bella Scarlett picked up multiple All-Tournament awards and her 500th career kill.

Cannon's Highlanders pulled out a dramatic 3-2 victory of UC San Diego in her debut at the SRC Arena on September 29, 2022.

In three seasons with Cal State Fullerton, Cannon's presence made an impact. In her first year, the squad had a huge turnaround season, finishing the year with a 12-15 overall record. The 12 total wins were the most for the program since 2012 while the four conference victories were the most since 2013. The team doubled their win total from the previous year and Cannon (as lead in defensive development and systems) guided the team to a Top 25 national ranking with 17.44 digs per set. Cannon was also a part of staff to (then) Head Coach Ashley Preston’s Big West Conference Co-Head Coach of The Year after the 2019 season.

Cannon helped guide Cal State Fullerton’s Julia Crawford to a phenomenal 2019 rookie campaign, as she was awarded a spot on the All-Big West First Team and Freshman Team. Her 368 kills and 398.5 total points were the most by a Titan since the 2014 season en route to becoming just the ninth Fullerton player to earn a First Team selection and the first since Kayla Neto in 2012. Cannon also worked with Savahna Costello, a 2019 Big West Honorable Mention honoree. The 5'5" libero absolutely dominated the conference leaderboards averaging 5.31 digs per set; a number that ranked 13th in the entire NCAA. Her 531 total digs on the year is the sixth most in Titan single-season history as she posted double-digit digs in nearly every match that season. Costello ranks sixth all-time in the program in total digs for her career with 1,197.

Cannon joined Cal State Fullerton after spending three years as the Assistant Coach in both indoor and beach volleyball at Cypress Community College. In her three years as the Assistant Coach, she helped Nancy Welliver to one indoor and two beach conference championships as well as two state tournament appearances.

Prior to Cypress, Cannon was the Athletics Director and Head Volleyball Coach at Christ Academy High School in Wichita Falls, Texas from 2013-2015. While in Texas, Cannon also co-founded Zone-In Volleyball Academy (ZIVA), where she was the head coach for the 14’s and 18’s National Team and Club Director from 2012-2019.

Cannon was also awarded the American Volleyball Coaches Association 2020 Diversity Award and was a keynote speaker at the 2020 and 2021 AVCA Volleyball Convention.

Cannon graduated from Colgate University where she was a Patriot League All-Conference Pitcher. She has also completed her Master’s Degree in Physical Education at Azuza Pacific and resides in La Palma with her husband Jerron and two daughters Rishae and Syriah.

Kenny Ma was named an assistant coach for UC Riverside volleyball in March of 2024.

Ma joins UCR after a year at Weber State, in which he led the Wildcats to a Big Sky Conference tournament title and an NCAA berth, also winning the in-season Corpus Christi Tournament.

While in the Wildcats' program, Ma coached two First Team All-Big Sky selections, a Big Sky All-Tournament MVP and the conference's Libero of the Year.

Ma is no stranger to southern California, also holding successful coaching stints at several levels in the area. Prior to Weber State, Ma was the head coach of the women's indoor, women's beach, and men's beach volleyball programs at Westcliff University in Irvine, California. During his time at Westcliff, Ma was named the university's coach of the year, and was named the conference coach of the year for his success with the beach volleyball programs.

Ma coached a number of high-achieving student-athletes at Westcliff, including the CalPac Conference Pair, Player and Newcomers of the Year and an NAIA All-American selection, Southwest All Region selection and the NAIA Pair of the Year.

Ma has been a winner with every program he's been with. His men's beach team won the first-ever AVCA Men's Collegiate Beach Volleyball National Championship and the IVC Men's Collegiate Beach Volleyball League championship. The women's beach team saw a lot of success as well, as his squad was crowned as California Pacific Conference Regular Season and Tournament Champions and were semifinalists in the NAIA national tournament.

Ma's coaching success also runs through the high school and club levels of southern California. Since 2017, Ma has been the head coach for a top team of Seal Beach Volleyball club. His teams have qualified for the Junior National Championships every year and have won two gold medals and two silver medals at the Junior National Qualifiers.

As a player, Ma played setter for Golden West College in Huntington Beach, California and at Westminster High School prior to that.

Aerielle Edwards enters her second season as an assistant coach with the UC Riverside volleyball program in 2023.

Edwards arrived in the Inland Empire in 2022 after two years of coaching high school volleyball at Texas Image Volleyball Club in Grand Prairie, Texas. In 2018, she served as an assistant coach under Ronda Shirley at Navarro College in Corsicana, Texas and helped Navarro earn the program’s first NJCAA national tournament appearance.

Edwards played her college volleyball at Division II Midwestern State in Wichita Falls, Texas. She was a two-time All-Lone Star Conference (LSC) honoree for the Mustangs, earning Postseason All-Tournament Team honors and a spot on the LSC Commissioner’s Honor Roll in 2016.

She began her college career with an NJCAA All-Region 16 honor at Missouri State-West Plains before earning NJCAA Region XIV Newcomer of the Year with Tyler JC In 2014.

Edwards was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas and resides in Riverside with her son, Jeremiah.