Pittsburgh, Pa. – Duquesne head volleyball coach
Steve Opperman announced the addition of
Emmy Klika to the Dukes' coaching staff as an assistant coach on Wednesday.
Klika joins the program after serving on the coaching staff at Jacksonville during the 2025 season while continuing her professional volleyball career. A standout libero at Pitt, she brings both high-level playing experience and coaching knowledge to the Bluff.
"We are pleased to welcome Emmy to our Duquesne Volleyball family," Opperman said. "Emmy is a proven competitor and has played in the NCAA Final Four and competes in the MLV. We look forward to her passion and commitment to our athletes to strengthen our program."
During the 2025 season at Jacksonville, Klika served in a player development role, assisting with film analysis, scouting, practice planning, skill instruction and player evaluations. She helped guide the Dolphins to a historic campaign, as Jacksonville finished 22-8 overall and recorded just its third 20-win season since 2000. The Dolphins also posted back-to-back seasons with 10 or more conference victories for only the second time in program history while earning wins over three top-100 RPI opponents. In addition to her collegiate coaching experience, Klika has worked extensively through private lessons and youth camps, helping develop aspiring volleyball players throughout the Pittsburgh area.
Klika has spent two seasons playing professionally in Major League Volleyball, helping the Orlando Valkyries capture the 2025 league championship before signing with the Columbus Fury for the 2027 season.
As a student-athlete at Pitt from 2021-24, the Ohio native helped lead the Panthers to three NCAA Final Four appearances while capturing back-to-back ACC Championships in 2022 and 2023. Individually, she earned AVCA Honorable Mention All-America honors and AVCA All-Region recognition in 2023, in addition to being named Second Team All-ACC. She was also a two-time member of the All-ACC Academic Team.
Away from the court, Klika has demonstrated a commitment to leadership and community service. She served on Pitt's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and represented the Panthers on the ACC Volleyball Student-Athlete Advisory Group. Her volunteer work has included Special Olympics events, youth volleyball clinics, school visits and numerous community outreach initiatives throughout the Pittsburgh area.
Klika earned her bachelor's degree in natural sciences with a minor in exercise science from the University of Pittsburgh in 2024. She also completed graduate studies in sports science at Pitt while maintaining Dean's List honors throughout her academic career.
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