USC Upstate head volleyball coach Jennifer Calloway has announced today the hiring of Justin Wells, who spent the past season at Southern Illinois, as the Spartans new assistant coach.

Wells has seven years of collegiate coaching experience at programs including Southern Illinois, Tennessee, Lindenwood University – Belleville and Trine.

“Justin has the experience we are looking for on the recruiting side,” said Calloway. “He will bring new ideas and create new opportunities for player development. His character is respected nationally and his energy and passion for the game is contagious. Justin will be an outstanding ambassador of our program, our university and our athletic department.”

He joins USC Upstate following one season as an assistant coach at Southern Illinois where the Salukis had two All-Missouri Valley Conference Second Team performers in Andrea Estrada and Patience Brown. Wells worked primarily with the setters and ran the in-game offense under the direction of head coach Kari Thompson.

Prior to his one season at Southern Illinois, Wells spent one year as a volunteer assistant coach for head coach Rob Patrick at the University of Tennessee. The Volunteers finished the season 17-14 capped by a win over 23^rd-ranked Kentucky in their final home match of the year. Erica Treiber was an American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Southeast Region Team honoree and later earned AVCA Honorable Mention All-America recognition. Tessa Grubbs was also named to the SEC All-Freshman Team.

Wells has three seasons of head coaching experience leading both the men’s and women’s programs at Lindenwood University – Belleville. During his three seasons as head coach of the Lynx, he led the women’s team to an appearance in the USCAA national tournament and coached two USCAA All-Americans and six All-Conference selections. The men’s program posted an 18-win turnaround in his second season at the helm, as they won 18 matches in 2014 after going winless in 2013.

Before his tenure at Lindenwood, Wells spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Trine University. While at Trine, Wells served as the recruiting coordinator and coached the setters. He also started a satellite of the Fort Wayne Volleyball Club in Angola, Ind., called the Angola Volleyball Club.

“I want to thank head coach Jennifer Calloway for giving me the opportunity to join her program and assist her in the continued growth of the Spartan volleyball team,” said Wells. “I am extremely excited to be able to help grow this program to new heights and ease in the transition from the ASUN to the Big South Conference. With 22 years of experience at USC Upstate, there are many things I look forward to learning under Coach Calloway and bringing some fresh new ideas from my previous experience as well. I am humbled to be chosen as the newest member of the USC Upstate athletics family and am encouraged by the changes and growth that they have planned over the years to come.”

Wells played collegiately at Cardinal Stritch University. While as a setter at Cardinal Stritch, Wells piloted the team to back-to-back NAIA national tournament appearances in 2008 and 2009.

He earned his bachelors of arts degree in psychology from Cardinal Stritch in 2010. He is married to Brianne Wells.

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