Well-versed in both the club and international game, Athanasopoulos has been the head coach of the Czechia National Team since 2019. He’s led the Czechs to two FIVB Challenger Cup medals, three European Golden League medals and two Volleyball Nations League berths, including in 2026.

In club play, Athanasopoulos’ teams have seen even more success. Most recently, he led   (Hungary) from 2021 to 2026. Under his tutelage, Vasas Óbuda won five consecutive Extraliga titles and four Hungarian Cups. The club also took third in the 2024-25 CEV Cup. 

Prior to his time in Hungary, Athanasopoulos coached Allianz MTV Stuttgart of Germany from 2017 to 2021, winning the Bundesliga in 2018-19 and adding two second-place finishes. He also served as assistant coach at Stuttgart, VK Agel Prostějov (Czechia) and Olympiakós (Greece). 

An Athens, Greece, native, Athanasopoulos played professionally at two Greek clubs: GS Kerateas (1999-2003) and Paniónios GS (2008-11).

Karmen "Kiki" Kočar brings professional, international and collegiate experience to LOVB Nebraska. She spent five seasons as first assistant coach under Giannis Athanasopoulos at Vasas Óbuda in Hungary, helping the club win five consecutive league championships, four Hungarian Cups and a third-place finish in the 2024-25 CEV Cup.

Kočar has also served on the coaching staffs of the Hungarian and Czech women's national teams, including with Czechia at the 2026 Volleyball Nations League. She previously coached in the United States as a volunteer assistant at the University of North Carolina in 2019.

Before coaching, Kočar played professionally as a setter for more than 15 years, with stops in France, Germany, Slovenia, Croatia and Romania. She represented Slovenia internationally and earned German Cup MVP honors with Allianz MTV Stuttgart in 2017.

A Ljubljana, Slovenia, native, Kočar graduated from the University of Maribor in 2016 with a degree in sport training.

A four-time Penn State All-American and longtime Puerto Rico national team libero, Dennis Del Valle brings 14 years of professional playing experience and 17 years of international experience to LOVB Nebraska’s coaching staff.

Del Valle represented Puerto Rico at three world championships and helped the national team capture its first NORCECA continental championship in 2021, earning best libero and best digger honors at the tournament.

In club play, Del Valle most recently competed for Chênois Genève in Switzerland. His professional career also included stops in Puerto Rico, Portugal and Finland, with league championships in Puerto Rico and Switzerland.

A Toa Alta, Puerto Rico, native, Del Valle earned AVCA All-America honors in each of his four seasons at Penn State from 2008 to 2011. He helped the Nittany Lions win the 2008 NCAA championship and finished his collegiate career as the program’s career digs leader.