Megan Knott was named the new Rutgers University-Newark Head Women's Volleyball Coach, it was officially announced Tuesday.
Knott will look to lead the Scarlet Raider program to the next level in the coming years and takes over a group that has won 29 matches over the last two seasons.
"We are extremely excited to welcome Megan to Rutgers-Newark and think she is going to do excellent things with our women's volleyball program," said Director of Athletics Mark Griffin. "Megan has a wealth of experience both as a coach and a high-level collegiate player and she knows the area, so we feel she is the right person for the job."
A West Caldwell, N.J. native, Knott is a currently a teacher at Sharon Elementary School in Robbinsville, N.J., also spending time at Indian Field Elementary, Brooks Crossing Elementary and Millstone Elementary.
In terms of coaching, Knott built the Notre Dame High School program from the ground up, leading the first-ever girls volleyball team in 2014 and steadily improving the squad in each of her first two campaigns as a head coach.
Knott graduated from Rider University in May of 2015. She received a scholarship to play for the Broncs, becoming a team leader as a veteran and earning All-Academic honors from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
"I am honored for the opportunity and would like to thank Mark (Griffin) for the chance to lead the Rutgers-Newark women's volleyball program," said Knott. "I have high expectations for our team both on the court and in the classroom, and I am excited to compete in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC)."
Knott played in 109 matches (307 sets) in her career, totaling 422 kills, 265 digs and 88 blocks. Her teams combined to win 25 matches during her junior and senior seasons, and Rider reached and won a pair of matches in the MAAC Tournament in 2010. She eclipsed 140 kills in a season twice and as a junior she notched 111 digs, 17 blocks and a 144 kills.
"In order to take the next step we are going to need to work incredibly hard day in and day out come mid-August," added Knott. "We play in a challenging conference, but I am confident we have the pieces necessary to fight for a spot in the NJAC Tournament immediately. It should be fun."
The 2016 season starts with preseason in the middle parts of August and the team begins competitive matches on Thursday, September 1 when the Scarlet Raiders welcome the College of Saint Elizabeth to The Golden Dome.
Scarlet Raider fans can expect a full schedule announcement on Monday, July 11.
Photo of Megan Knott courtesy of Rob Kulish
