The Hawaii women’s volleyball team completed its coaching staff Tuesday with the hiring of Will McDonald as an assistant coach.
McDonald, who spent the past three seasons working with UH head coach Joshua Walker on the Baylor coaching staff, joins associate coach Heather Olmstead, who was officially announced on Monday, and Kolby Kanetake to round out Walker’s staff in his debut season as Rainbow Wahine head coach.
“Will is the perfect person to round out this staff,” Walker said in a press release. “He has a ton of experience in a lot of different aspects of the job that are paramount to a volleyball team having success. Also, his experience outside of the U.S. and his overall high character will be invaluable as well.”
McDonald, who is originally from Surrey, England, most recently served as a technical operations coordinator with LOVB Salt Lake, an American professional women’s indoor volleyball team based in Utah.
The team advanced to the league championship final.
As a technical coordinator with Baylor from 2023 through to the 2025 season, McDonald also assisted with recruiting and helped raise more than $200,000 to fund a foreign tour in 2024.
“I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to join Coach Walker’s staff and the Rainbow Wahine volleyball program,” McDonald said in a press release. “Hawaii volleyball is so rich in tradition, community, and prestige, and I cannot wait to get to work building the next chapter of Wahine volleyball.”
McDonald has also worked for USA Volleyball. He recently served as a performance analyst for the USA Women’s National Team during the Volleyball Nations League and the USA U21 Women’s National Team at the Pan American Cup.
Last year, he served in the same role for the USA Beach team that won a bronze medal at the World University Games.
He’s also won national championships as the head coach for University College London and the Richmond Volleyball Club in the United Kingdom.
The Rainbow Wahine volleyball team begins fall camp on Thursday ahead of its season opener against Georgia Southern in the Hawaiian Airlines Rainbow Wahine Classic on Aug. 28 at Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
UH will also play in exhibition matches at Hawaii Hilo on Aug. 15 and at home against Chaminade on Aug. 17.
