Amir Khaledi enters his sixth year with The Citadel Volleyball team and first since being elevated to head coach on Nov. 22, 2010. This marks Khaledi’s second head coaching stint after he spent eight seasons at the helm of Charleston Southern University’s program. He was head coach at Charleston Southern from 1985 through 1992, posting 157 victories in that span. These victories garnered him a spot in the AVCA (American Volleyball Coaches Association) 100-150 victory club. Over the course of the next two seasons he served as Associate Head Coach before handing the reigns over to his former player Danyel Bellush. During his tenure as head coach, Khaledi coached Charleston Southern during the most successful run in the program’s history, which included 193 total wins. Khaledi led the Buccaneers to four Big South Championships, was a four-time Big South Coach of the Year honoree and was inducted into the Charleston Southern Hall of Fame in 2002.

Since joining the Bulldog staff, Khaledi has developed The Citadel into one of the most solid defensive units in the Southern Conference. Behind Khaledi’s defensive schemes, the 2010 unit establish the most single-season assisted blocks (330) in the program’s 13-year history. This contributed to the fourth-most total blocks (198) and fifth-high block per set (1.77) marks in Citadel Volleyball history. Khaledi also helped the Bulldogs front row to minimize their blocking errors, limiting themselves to 22, fewest since the 1998 season. These defensive alignments also proved difficult for the opposition to penetrate as they experienced a three-year low in kills per set (12.78). Due in large part to an increased in the number of opponent errors, Khaledi’s defense forced the opposition into an all-time low attack percentage (.210) against the Bulldogs.

Khaledi is also a standout coach on the club level as well, having been involved with Charleston’s Junior Olympic volleyball program since 1997. He coached the Charleston elite team to six national championship tournament appearances and led the team to a seventh-place finish at the AAU national tournament in 2001. All six national tournament teams claimed regional crowns. In 2006 and 2007, Khaledi’s 18 Elite Club team finished fourth at the U.S. Volleyball National Qualifying tournament in Atlanta, Ga. In 2007 and 2008, his 18 Elite Club team won the regional title and attended the Junior National Championships.

Not just a success story on the sidelines, Khaledi garnered two All-Conference and All-Region while at Norwich (Vt.) University, before transferring to Charleston Southern. Khaledi earned his bachelor’s degree from Charleston Southern in 1984.

Prior to coming to the United States and attending college, Khaledi played volleyball in his native Tehran, Iran, where he was a four-year letterwinner at Tehran’s Kharazmi High School, earning multiple All-City, All-Region and All-County honors. From 1977-79, Khaledi was a member of Iran’s Junior Olympic National Team.

A nationally-acclaimed coach, Khaledi has received Cap I and Impact Coaching certification under USA Volleyball and his Level I Coaching and Officiating certification by the International Federation of Volleyball (FIVB). Khaledi and his wife, Pam, have a son, Cyrus.

Amanda Newell begins her fourth season as an assistant coach with The Citadel Volleyball program. Her primary responsibilities include on-court coaching, the development of The Citadel’s setters as well as video exchange and distribution.

Newell’s work with the setters has showed signs of significant progress during her tenure with The Citadel program. Since her arrival in 2008 the team has amassed the fifth-most assists (3,524) over any three-year span in history. This has resulted in an assist per set average of 10.21 per game in that same span. The sound play of Bulldog setters tied the mark established from 2003-05 for the best attack percentage (.169; 3,860 kills, 1,937 errors, 11,402 total attacks) during any three-year stretch.

Newell’s work with junior setter Alexa Dahlstrom helped her establish a single-season career-high 392 assists in 2010. In addition, Newell also developed sophomore Erin Bucherl, who led the team with 419 assists during her rookie campaign. The two guided a Bulldog unit that tallied 1,136 assists last season.

Prior to joining the staff in 2008, Newell spent two years as the head junior varsity coach at Northwood Academy in North Charleston, S.C., where she also served as assistant coach for the varsity team. Both years, she led her junior varsity team to a second place finish in the conference.

On the club volleyball circuit, Newell recently served as head coach of the Charleston Junior Club team, comprised of 15-year-olds. In 2010, her team finished in Gold in two tournaments, including the Southern Classic. Prior to that she was head coach for Coastal Club Volleyball in Charleston, where she coached the 14-year-olds.

During her four-year playing career at Wofford, primarily as the setter, she ranks sixth on the school’s all-time assists list. With Joe Bowman at the helm in her third year, Newell was also a defensive specialist and right side hitter.

Newell and her husband, Garrick, have a son, Ian.

Catelyn Amende enters her first season as a graduate assistant with the Bulldog Volleyball program. A four-year starter at middle blocker/right side for Wofford College, Amende graduated in 2011 with a business economics degree. She left as the school record holder for single-game hitting percentage (.818 vs. Savannah State, 2009) and single-season hitting percentage (.285; 2009).

Amende will be integral in the development of The Citadel’s middle blocker and right side hitters on head coach Amir Khaledi’s staff.  With 681 kills, 280 total blocks and 205 digs to her credit from her Wofford career, Amende was recognized as a defensive standout throughout her collegiate career.

She also assisted with Club South practices in both the 2008 and 2010 seasons. Amende also served as a coach for middle school teams in attendance at Wofford’s summer volleyball camps from 2007-2011. She also served as a camp counselor at assistant coach Amanda Newell’s and the College of Charleston’s during the summer of 2011.

A native of Charleston, Amende was a 2007 graduate of West Ashley High School, winning a combined six letters with the soccer, swimming and volleyball programs. Among the successes that she enjoyed with the Wildcats included a 2005 4-A volleyball state championship, 2006 volleyball lower state runner-up, 2005 soccer regional championship and 2006 soccer state championship. Her solid play earned her a selection to play at the USA Volleyball Junior Olympic level in 2007.

Amende is the daughter of Cathy and Roger Amende.