COACHING STAFF

Jeff Liu | Assistant Coach

Jeff Liu begins his first season as an assistant coach with the Northwestern volleyball program in 2024.  Prior to his arrival in Evanston, Liu spent four seasons alongside current Northwestern head coach Tim Nollan at Grand Canyon University.

"I am extremely excited to add Jeff to our staff at Northwestern,” Nollan said.  “His experiences from Grand Canyon, the Olympics, and the USA Volleyball developmental programs will be invaluable to Northwestern volleyball.  Jeff will be a positive light for our student-athletes and a great ambassador for the University.  I can’t wait to turn him loose in the Big Ten!”

“I am excited to be joining the Northwestern family,” Liu said.  “To be able to coach at one of the top academic universities in the top volleyball conference in the country is a dream come true.  I am looking forward to helping elevate the narrative around Northwestern volleyball as a premier destination, both academically and athletically, while also being able to compete at a world class level and develop well-rounded student-athletes.  This program has incredible potential, and I can’t wait to hit the ground running with Tim, Erica, Delaney, and all the current student-athletes we have on campus this spring.  Go ‘Cats!”

During his four-year stay with the Lopes, Liu, who was promoted to associate head coach prior to the 2023 season, helped lead the program to a 71-30 record (.703) that included an impressive 43-15 ledger (.741) mark in Western Athletic Conference play.  This past season, Grand Canyon finished 23-8 overall (13-3 WAC) en route to winning the WAC Tournament Championship and making the program’s first appearance in the NCAA Tournament.  Three Lopes took home All-WAC honors, a trio led by Tatum Parrott, who was named the first American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-American in program history.

Along with his experience in the college ranks, Liu has spent just shy of 10 years in multiple working capacities with USA Volleyball.  In 2021, he served as the performance analyst for the U.S. Women’s National Team, playing an instrumental role in the United States capturing the gold medal following a three-set sweep of previously undefeated Brazil in the gold medal match of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The gold-medal showing in Tokyo was one of many for the national team during Liu’s time on staff, a run that also included three FIVB Volleyball Nations Leagues titles (2018-19, 2021), a silver medal at the 2019 FIVB World Cup, and a bronze medal at the 2017 FIVB Grand Champions Cup.

Prior to a two-year stint as a volunteer assistant coach at Cal State Fullerton, Liu was the technical coordinator for both the women’s and men’s indoor and women’s beach volleyball teams at the University of South California (USC).  The Trojans appeared in the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament during all three years of Liu’s time in the City of Angels, highlighted by a 2015 campaign that saw USC finish 33-3 overall on the way to winning the Pac-12 Championship and making the first of two NCAA Elite Eight appearances during Liu’s tenure.  The Trojans also experienced success on the beach during his time, winning back-to-back NCAA Championships in 2015 and 2016.

Liu began his time in the college coaching ranks with stops at UMBC (2014) and the University of Saint Joseph (2012-14).  He also spent time as an assistant coach with the USA Volleyball High Performance Program, working with the Girls A2 select and Girls A3 Select teams in 2015 ahead of serving as the associate head coach of the Girls Select A2 Invitational Team in 2016.  Liu, who is Level II and Beach Level I certified through USA Volleyball’s Coaching Accreditation Program (CAP), was a DataVolley intern and volunteer court coach with the U.S Women’s National Team from 2014-16.

A native of Livingston, N.J., Liu received his bachelor’s degree in business and technology in 2008 from the Stevens Institute of Technology, where he founded the men’s club volleyball team and was a four-year team captain.  He went on to Concordia University Irvine, where he earned a master’s degree in coaching and athletic administration.

Jackie Scott | Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator

Jackie Scott is in her first season as an assistant coach with the Northwestern volleyball program.  Scott, who also serves as recruiting coordinator, joined the 'Cats after a six-year stint at Villanova University the last of which came as the Wildcats' associate head coach.

"I am very excited to welcome Jackie to Northwestern," Northwestern head volleyball coach Tim Nollan commented.  "As I went through the hiring process, it became very clear that she is the right person for the job. Jackie's passion for student-athlete development, as well as her experience at Villanova, make her a great fit for what we are doing here.  I am excited to get her around our team and out on the recruiting trail representing Northwestern."

"I am truly honored and immensely excited to join the Northwestern University volleyball program," Scott said.  "Northwestern has a tradition of excellence, both academically and athletically, and to be part of this prestigious institution is a privilege.  I can't wait to get started with this amazing Wildcats family."

During her time in the City of Brotherly Love, Scott aided in the development of the 13 All-BIG EAST Conference selections and a pair of American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Region honorees.  She mentored two BIG EAST specialty award winners in 2020 Libero of the Year Averi Salvador and 2023 Freshman of the Year Abby Harrell.

This past season, Scott was part of a staff that helped guide Kiera Booth to a second straight All-BIG EAST nod following a senior campaign in which the middle blocker piled up 312 kills (2.64 k/s) and a team-best 80 blocks (0.68 b/s).  Booth went on to be named an Honorable Mention All-Region pick by the AVCA.

As a student-athlete, Scott spent the first two years of her collegiate career at Western Kentucky University, where she appeared in 211 sets for the Hilltoppers, before making her way to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE).  She made an immediate impact for the Cougars, earning Second Team All-Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) honors as a junior after averaging 1.99 kills per set and 2.76 digs per set.  During her two-year stay in Edwardsville, Ill., SIUE posted back-to-back 20-plus win seasons and earned the program's first postseason appearance in 10 years, securing a berth to the 2017 National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC).

Out of Wildwood, Mo., Scott earned her bachelor's degree in exercise science and nutrition from SIUE in 2018.

Tim Nollan Volleyball Camps are open to all, limited only by age, grade level or gender