FLORENCE, Ala. (April 15, 2025) – UNA Volleyball Head Coach Tristan Johnson has announced two new additions to the coaching staff Friday afternoon, with Taylor Holmes and Taylor Raiola joining the Lions in assistant coaching roles.

The two coaches are already on campus and will begin their first seasons in 2025. Holmes embarks on her second assistant coaching role, while Raiola serves in her first full-time coaching role.

Holmes comes to North Alabama by way of Middle Tennessee, where she served as an assistant coach from 2019 through the 2024 season. While with the Blue Raiders, she was responsible for all setter, middle blocking and offensive training and development while assisting with passing, and defense. Holmes also assisted with recruiting, scouting, team operations and social media while at Middle Tennessee.

"I can't express how excited I am to add Taylor to our coaching staff," said Johnson on Holmes. "We had a variety of coaches express interest in this position, and Taylor's name quickly rose to the top. She brings with her incredible experience from Middle Tennessee where she trained two incredible setters, one of which was a top five setter in the NCAA and another that recently won Conference USA Freshman of the Year. She has already hit the ground running with our setter position and has been an immediate impact to the gym. Her professionalism, work ethic and demeanor have been such an asset already. Everyday, she has brought something new to the table, and I'm pumped that she is on our team."

Prior to coaching with the Blue Raiders, Holmes served as a student manager from 2014-18 before becoming a graduate assistant for the 2018 season. She graduated from Middle Tennessee with both her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Business Administration.

"I am beyond excited to join Tristan and the North Alabama volleyball program," said Holmes. "This team has a strong foundation, and I'm eager to contribute to the continued growth and success of the program. It's clear that the support from the university and the community creates a special environment for both the athletes and the staff, and I am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this journey and to help contribute to pushing the program forward."

Raiola enters her first year of collegiate coaching, coming to Florence after serving as a graduate manager for football recruiting for the University of Nebraska. During her time with the Huskers, she assisted in recruiting strategy development, administrative support and prospect scouting and evaluation. She briefly worked with the UNA Football Staff in a similar position before transitioning back to volleyball.

"We were so thrilled to officially add Taylor to our staff," said Johnson on Raiola. "I have to first thank Coach Brent Dearmon for his support as we transitioned Taylor from our football staff over to a full-time assistant with our volleyball program. The story of how this situation played out is special, and we are so lucky that Taylor landed here with us. She is a relentless worker and has an infectious personality that I know our student-athletes and recruits will gravitate to, immediately. From the day she was hired, she got the ball rolling and never looked back. I couldn't have asked for a better person to seamlessly fit right into our program."

Raiola additionally brings experience as a Division I student-athlete, playing four years of volleyball for Texas Christian University. During She named a team captain with the Horned Frogs, totaling 80 matches for her career while accumulating 430 points with 373 kills and 410 digs.

Raiola graduated from TCU in May 2024 with a degree in Youth Advocacy and Educational Studies.

"I'm incredibly excited to be joining the North Alabama volleyball program as an assistant coach," said Raiola. It's an amazing opportunity to grow within such a respected program, and I'm truly grateful to be part of this community. I can't wait to get to work with this talented group of girls and contribute to their development both in and off the court."

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