Michelle Meiklejohn enters her second season as head coach of the VCSU volleyball program in 2024.
The 2024 Vikings finished with a 15-14 overall record and a 5-5 mark in conference play. Meiklejohn coached Sadie Hansen and Macy Fridgen to earn 1st Team All-Conference honors and Morgan Nelson earned 2nd Team All-Conference. Hansen and Fridgen were each named to the AVCA All-Region 1st Team and NAIA Honorable Mention All-American in 2024.
In her first season as head coach, Meiklejohn led the Vikings to its first NAIA National Tournament appearance in program history. The 2023 team finished with a 23-11 overall record, a program-best since the 1998 season, and went 8-4 in conference play. VCSU earned a No. 2 seed for the NSAA postseason and fell to No. 18 Bellevue in the NSAA Semifinals.
VCSU earned an at-large bid to the NAIA Volleyball Championships and defeated No. 21 Central Methodist 3-1 in the NAIA Opening Round. VCSU advanced to the final site of the NAIA Volleyball Championships to compete in pool play. The Vikings fell to No. 3 Eastern Oregon and No. 14 Montana Tech to finish its historic season.
Under Meiklejohn's leadership, junior Sadie Hansen was named NAIA 3rd Team All-American, NSAA Setter of the Year and AVCA All-Region, and hitters Bailey Nelson and Danielle Hagler each earned AVCA All-Region. Hansen, Nelson and Hagler were named 1st Team All-Conference and Morgan Freije earned 2nd Team All-Conference.
Meiklejohn previously served as an assistant coach at Mayville State for nine seasons. She is a three-time North Star Athletic Association Assistant Coach of the Year and a two-time North Central Region Assistant Coach of the Year. While at Mayville, she also spent seven years as an instructor and assistant professor in the health, physical education, and recreation department.
A native of Oakes, N.D., Meiklejohn helped coach two NAIA Honorable Mention All-Americans and one NAIA 3rd Team All-American at Mayville. The Comets won the NSAA Tournament in 2020 and advanced to the NAIA National Tournament Opening Round in Fremont, Neb.
As a player, Meiklejohn competed for two seasons at Mayville State and two seasons at North Dakota State College of Science. At Mayville, she was recognized as a NSAA Scholar-Athlete and graduated with a bachelor's degree in fitness and wellness. She also holds a master's degree in health, nutrition and exercise science from North Dakota State University.
While at NDSCS, Meiklejohn was a dual-sport athlete in volleyball and basketball where she was a member of a conference and regional championship volleyball team. She was also named to the MonDak All-Academic Team.
| Michelle Meiklejohn - VCSU Career |
| Year |
Record |
| 2024 |
15-14 |
| 2023 |
23-11 |
| CAREER RECORD: |
38-25 |
