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LEXINGTON, Ky. - UCLA assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Kaitlin Nielsen has been recognized by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) as a recipient of the 2016 Thirty Under 30 Award. This award was created in 2009 to honor up-and-coming coaching talent at all levels of the sport. To qualify for the award, nominees had to be 30 years or younger in 2015.

"When coaching development is what you do, few days are more gratifying than the one on which you announce the Thirty Under 30 awards," said AVCA Executive Director Kathy DeBoer. "The number and quality of nominees keeps going up and the diversity of places where we are seeing youthful excellence continues to expand. Our future is bright."

Of the thirty recipients, 12 are NCAA Division I coaches, six in high school/club, four in Division III, three are NCAA Division II and NAIA, and two are two-year college coaches.

Nielsen, 29, has helped the Bruins to back-to-back appearances in the Regional Semifinals and holds a three-year coaching record of 62-35 (.639 winning percentage). Last season, the Bruins were 25-8, finishing fourth in the Pac-12 Conference. Six players were honored on the All-Pac-12 Teams, while three, Jordan Anderson, Claire Felix and Taylor Formico, were named AVCA All-America and All-Region. In 2014, UCLA was 22-12 and led the country in kills (15.10) and assists (14.26) per set, with Karsta Lowe leading the nation in kills and points per set. Nielsen began her coaching career with the Bruins in 2013 as a volunteer assistant.

"I feel incredibly grateful to be at UCLA and have the opportunity to work with such hard-working, smart and talented female athletes and staff members," Nielsen told the AVCA. "The Bruin community is unlike any other and I'm beyond grateful to be a part of it. At some point down the road, I can see myself running a program, but for now I'm really immersed in making UCLA one of the best programs in the country."

In addition, UCLA alum and 2011 National Champion Rachael Kidder was also named to the list. Kidder, 24, is a coach with Actyve Volleyball Club, having been a 12-U and 13-U head coach and a 16-U assistant coach over the last two seasons. She also coached with Sports Shack Volleyball Club (2010-2012). Kidder, who would like to become a Division I head coach, will begin her collegiate coaching career next season as a volunteer assistant at Texas.

"During my collegiate career, I developed a love for coaching while coaching at the club level," Kidder told the AVCA. "I had so many wonderful experiences playing volleyball, and aim to provide a platform for young women to experience and love the game. I value the opportunities I have to develop the players' athletic ability and knowledge of the game, as well as provide positive mentorship throughout a variety of life experiences."