GRAND FORKS, N.D.-University of North Dakota head volleyball coach Ashley Hardee announced the hiring of former UND standout Erin Joki as an assistant coach.  Joki returns to campus after spending last season on the bench with the Grand Forks Central volleyball program (junior varsity head coach/varsity assistant).

"I am very excited for this season to begin," Joki said. "This is such a good opportunity for me to coach under two great coaches and experience volleyball from a new perspective. I am extremely lucky to continue my volleyball career, and I can't think of a better place I'd want to do it than at UND."

Joki played in over 100 matches in her career at UND (2007-2010) and registered 707 kills in her four seasons for the Green and White. Joki racked-up 855.0 total points scored, a mark that sits 10th in UND's record books for points scored in the rally era.  The 5-foot-11 product of Grand Rapids, Minn. was named the 2010 Great West Conference Player of the Year after a superb senior campaign.  She hit .283 with a career-best 310 kills, leading her Fighting Sioux to back-to-back GWC regular season and tournament titles (2009, 2010).

Joki joins coach Hardee and associate head coach Dan Brown as the team enters its first year in the Big Sky Conference in 2012. UND has begun preparation for the season, reporting for its first practice this week.  UND will host an alumni match on Aug. 18 before opening the regular season against national power Southern California at the Texas A&M tournament on Aug. 24.