UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State Men's Volleyball recently welcomed the addition of Mike Kraft as an assistant coach. Kraft joins the Nittany Lions after guiding the Lock Haven women's volleyball team to a big turnaround last season.
"I'm very pleased to have Mike Kraft join our staff," Penn State head coach Mark Pavlik said. "Through his men's volleyball career at Juniata as a player and what he's accomplished in his coaching career, most recently the major turnaround he led with the Lock Haven women's team, there's no doubt in my mind he will be a great addition to our staff and our program. His understanding of the fundamentals of volleyball is going to serve us very well."
Kraft's one season at Lock Haven was a memorable one as he led the Bald Eagles to a 10-win improvement over the previous season. That upward trajectory resulted in the team's first appearance in the PSAC Tournament since 2015 and Kraft being named the PSAC East Coach of the Year.
Kraft brings coaching experience from numerous levels, including his position as technical director and head coach with the Horseshoe Volleyball Club in Tyrone since 2013, as well as his time as the head coach at Tyrone High School from 2014-21.
At the collegiate level, Kraft was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Juniata from 2013-16. The team had an incredible run in the 2014 season, finishing as the national runner-up with a 29-5 record and four players that earned All-America honors. He also spent time working at the Division I level with Saint Francis University.
Kraft graduated in 2012 with a degree in early childhood/elementary education from Juniata, where he was a two-time Academic All-American while helping the Eagles win the 2009 NCAA Division III Championship. He went on to earn a master's degree in education from Saint Francis University in 2009.
