NORTHFIELD, Minn. – Carleton College head volleyball coach Abby Walton has announced the addition of Maddie McNeil and Ella Lofton to the Knights staff as assistant coaches. McNeil and Lofton come to Northfield with a wealth of volleyball experience, bringing collegiate playing experiences from the NCAA D-I and NAIA levels.
 
"McNeil and Lofton are both dynamic, hardworking, authentic coaches with high level experiences that will resonate immediately with our student-athletes," explained Walton. "They both have shown that not only did they have the talent, drive, and work ethic to excel as student-athletes, but also the ability to teach and grow their athletes as coaches.
 
"We are excited for them to get into the gym with our athletes this fall and to continue
building the Knights volleyball program."
 
McNeil began her coaching career as a head indoor coach at Club Iowa from 2015-19 and was a sand volleyball coach at the same club from 2016-18. She has also worked as a private lesson coach for many years. She was a letterwinner on the University of Northern Iowa (NCAA Division I) squad that advanced to the 2015 and 2016 NCAA Championships. McNeil was the MVP for her Eagan (Minn.) High School squad that captured the Class 3AAA state title in 2013 and helped the Wildcats get back to the state championship match in 2014.
 
At the club level, McNeil played six years for M1 Volleyball in Bloomington, Minn. and two years for Lakeville (Minn.) Juniors. During her playing career, McNeil saw time all over the court, including libero and setter as well as both outside and right-side hitters. She graduated in 2019 from UNI after majoring in both elementary and middle level education. She is working on her master's in education with a mental health specialization at Saint Mary University. She currently serves as an eighth-grade math teacher in nearby Farmington, Minn.
 
Lofton came to Carleton in July 2022 as a NCAA Ethnic Minorities and Women's Intern and serves as the Knights' Director of Events and Athletic IDE Initiatives. She now adds assistant volleyball coach duties to her list of responsibilities. Lofton graduated in 2022 with a degree in criminal justice from Oklahoma City University (OCU) where she was a four-time all-conference volleyball player and three-time academic all-conference standout. She appeared in 120 matches for the Stars during her collegiate career and led OCU to four consecutive sweeps of the Sooner Athletic Conference regular season and conference tournament championships, leading to four straight NAIA Tournament appearances.
 
Lofton was named to the All-Region team following her final collegiate campaign and ranks among the top-five in OCU history with 1,119 career kills to go along with 694 digs, 125 blocks, and 45 aces. She also spent time coaching with the Oklahoma Charge volleyball club. She played seven years at the club level: three years at North Lights Junior Volleyball and two years each at Austin Juniors and Texas Eclipse Volleyball.
 
Lofton has oversight of athletic event management and collaborates on inclusion, diversity, and equity initiatives for the Physical Education, Athletics, and Recreation (PEAR) Department.
 
The Knights will open the 2023 season on Sept. 1 at the Sugar Loaf Classic in Winona, Minn.