FLORENCE, Ala. (March 19, 2026) – University of North Alabama head volleyball coach Tristan Johnson announced the addition of Karly Berkland to the coaching staff Thursday afternoon.

Berkland joins the Lions with five years of Division I playing experience and over two years of coaching experience. The Williamsburg, Iowa native was a defensive specialist/libero for both the University of Houston and the University of Connecticut from 2019-23.

She began her college career with Houston, playing with the Cougars for the 2019 and 2020 seasons. Berkland totaled 277 digs, 37 assists and 25 service aces in 43 matches played. She also helped lead the Cougars to the 2020 American Athletic Conference regular-season championship.

Berkland spent her final three seasons as the starting libero for UConn from 2021-23. She tallied 1,376 digs in 95 career matches – ranking fifth in program history in digs. Berkland was an influential piece in the Huskies' 2021 National Invitational Volleyball Tournament run, helping lead UConn to three wins and an appearance in the Final Four. Berkland had additional career totals of 369 assists and 93 services aces while with the Huskies.

"I'm excited to welcome Karly Berkland to the Shoals and to our program," said Johnson. "Karly stood out right away as a candidate for our position due to her high level of playing experience, as well as coaching experience. Karly has been a part of teams that have played in the post season both as a player and a coach. From playing in the NIVC finals to coaching back-to-back seasons in the NCAA Tournament, her experience will be incredibly valuable to our players as we look to pursuit those same goals as a team and staff. She has already hit the ground running and made an immediate impact. I'm thrilled that we have her on our team."

While at UConn, she had her first coaching experience as the head coach of the Husky Volleyball Club from Dec. 2021 – June 2022. Her second stint of coaching experience came as a graduate assistant for the South Dakota State volleyball team for the 2024 and 2025 seasons.

With the Jackrabbits, she helped coach the team to a 50-8 combined record along with two consecutive regular-season championships in the Summit League. The Jackrabbits also made two-straight NCAA Tournament First Round appearances in her two seasons. Berkland additionally gained coaching experience while at South Dakota State as the head coach for Brookings Volleyball Club from Dec. 2024 – July 2025.

She received her Bachelor's degree in 2023 from UConn in Sport Administration. She is currently working on her Master's in Sport and Recreational Management from South Dakota State.

"I am incredibly blessed and excited to join the North Alabama volleyball program," said Berkland. "I feel so fortunate to work alongside this staff and a roster of athletes who are clearly hungry for success. I am very eager to get to work and build lasting relationships with the student athletes and the Florence community."

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