Volleyball
Benning, Aaron
Aaron Benning
- Title:
- Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator
- Email:
- abenning@sports.uga.edu
Assistant coach Aaron Benning is in his ninth season with the Georgia volleyball program in 2025. Benning joined the Georgia staff in January 2017 as an assistant coach. Among Benning's many responsibilities in the gym, he also heads up Georgia's recruiting efforts.
Benning's coaching at the service line once again placed the Bulldogs top three in the SEC in 2024, concluding the season with 1.73 aces per set and 190 total on the season. His work on the recruiting trail saw a quartet of top players conclude their careers in 2024, including All-American and 1,000-Kill Club member Sophie Fischer, 1,000 Dig-Club member Bailey Cox, and setter Clara Brower, who finished her career eighth all-time at Georgia with 3,713 assists. Erykah Lovett played her grad season in Athens in 2024, capping a Double Grand Club collegiate career. Fischer and Lovett collected 2024 All-SEC honors, and Fischer earned her third AVCA All-Region Team appointment.
Fischer and Lovett each signed professional contracts following the season. Fischer played for LOVB Salt Lake in the inaugural LOVB season, while Lovett played for CBL Costa Volpino in Italy.
In 2023, Georgia finished second in the SEC with 1.76 aces per set and 199 total aces. Individually, 2023 Second Team All-American and SEC Player of the Year Sophie Fischer finished third in the league with 0.40 aces per set and 72 total aces. Fischer concluded the season as the nation's highest-scoring middle.
In the offseason, Benning's recruiting efforts paid off when the Bulldogs got commitments from Bianna Muoneke (Texas A&M), Erykah Lovett (Tennessee), and Kendal Kemp (Auburn) out of the transfer portal.
Georgia's best-ever season at the service line since Benning's arrival in Athens came in 2022, registering 1.77 aces per set, the second-best in the SEC. The Bulldogs finished 16th nationally and first in the SEC in total aces (212). Already one of the best servers in the SEC, All-American Kacie Evans elevated her serve, registering 46 total aces and a 0.39 set average in 2022, finishing second in the SEC. Amber Stivrins also finished top 10 in the league with a 0.32 clip.
Benning's efforts on the recruiting trail brought 2023 All-America honorable mention Sophie Fischer to Athens. In her first season in the Red & Black, Fischer finished as the top blocker in the SEC and third-best in the country (1.55 blocks/set). Her 183 total blocks were second nationally and finished third in a single season at Georgia.
The Bulldogs' strong efforts on the service line continued to improve in 2021, registering 1.46 aces per set as a team, ranking second in the SEC. Georgia's 167 total aces also ranked second in the league. Stivrins finished the season second in the league with 0.42 aces per set and atop the SEC with a total of 47 aces to her name.
In the 2020-21 season, the Bulldogs concluded the season sixth in the SEC with 1.30 aces per set. Brynn Chandler tallied 25 aces on the season while Evans tallied 22. Middles Sage (Naves) Powell and Phoebe Awoleye combined for 177 kills for the offense. Awoleye picked up SEC All-Freshman Team accolades in 2020.
Georgia’s serving game flourished under Benning’s tutelage in 2019, finishing in the top three in the SEC for the third-straight season. Georgia concluded the season with a 1.47 aces per set average. Chandler ranked fifth in the league with 0.31 aces per set. Chandler and Evans each tallied more than 30 total aces in 2019.
The Bulldogs appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 2019 for the first time since 2013. It was the second time Georgia eclipsed the 20-win mark, finishing 20-10. The last time Georgia had a pair of 20-win seasons in three years was 1995 and 1997.
In his first three seasons with the Georgia staff, Benning coached the service game to ranking in the top three in the SEC. Georgia led the league in 2017 with 1.57 aces per set, finishing 25th in the country. In 2018, the Bulldogs ranked third in the conference with a 1.48 clip.
The 2017 and 2018 seasons saw Georgia finish above the .500 mark in both seasons, the first time since 2008 and 2009. In 2017, Benning’s first season, the Bulldogs made a jump of 132 places in RPI from the previous season to 57.
Benning previously served in the same capacity for three seasons at Loyola-Marymount on Tom Black's staff. Prior to LMU, Benning served as the Director of Sports for City Beach Volleyball Club since 2004, and spent a total of seven years, including three as head women’s volleyball coach at Ohlone College.
While at LMU, Benning helped the Lions to two NCAA appearances, including a trip to the Sweet 16 after upsetting nationally-ranked Colorado State and Stanford in Palo Alto, California. In addition to LMU’s NCAA showings, Benning assisted in notching a pair of 20-win seasons. The 24 wins LMU recorded in 2015 were the most for the program since collecting 26 in 2003. That same season, LMU finished third in the West Coast Conference, another best for the team since 2003. Benning saw LMU roll in accolades during his three years, including four AVCA All-America selections, six AVCA All-Region picks, an AVCA Region Freshman of the Year, and 11 All-Conference honorees, along with the Defensive Player of the Year in 2016.
Benning helped City Beach win nine Junior National Medals and over 180 Regional and National Tournaments. Consistently one of the top-25 volleyball clubs in the nation, Benning guided over 155 of his City Beach players into collegiate volleyball programs since 2006. In addition to coaching, Benning was responsible for many of the management and executive functions.
Benning, a graduate of Yerba Buena High School in San Jose, California, earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Recreational Management from Cal State East Bay in 2014.
Benning's coaching at the service line once again placed the Bulldogs top three in the SEC in 2024, concluding the season with 1.73 aces per set and 190 total on the season. His work on the recruiting trail saw a quartet of top players conclude their careers in 2024, including All-American and 1,000-Kill Club member Sophie Fischer, 1,000 Dig-Club member Bailey Cox, and setter Clara Brower, who finished her career eighth all-time at Georgia with 3,713 assists. Erykah Lovett played her grad season in Athens in 2024, capping a Double Grand Club collegiate career. Fischer and Lovett collected 2024 All-SEC honors, and Fischer earned her third AVCA All-Region Team appointment.
Fischer and Lovett each signed professional contracts following the season. Fischer played for LOVB Salt Lake in the inaugural LOVB season, while Lovett played for CBL Costa Volpino in Italy.
In 2023, Georgia finished second in the SEC with 1.76 aces per set and 199 total aces. Individually, 2023 Second Team All-American and SEC Player of the Year Sophie Fischer finished third in the league with 0.40 aces per set and 72 total aces. Fischer concluded the season as the nation's highest-scoring middle.
In the offseason, Benning's recruiting efforts paid off when the Bulldogs got commitments from Bianna Muoneke (Texas A&M), Erykah Lovett (Tennessee), and Kendal Kemp (Auburn) out of the transfer portal.
Georgia's best-ever season at the service line since Benning's arrival in Athens came in 2022, registering 1.77 aces per set, the second-best in the SEC. The Bulldogs finished 16th nationally and first in the SEC in total aces (212). Already one of the best servers in the SEC, All-American Kacie Evans elevated her serve, registering 46 total aces and a 0.39 set average in 2022, finishing second in the SEC. Amber Stivrins also finished top 10 in the league with a 0.32 clip.
Benning's efforts on the recruiting trail brought 2023 All-America honorable mention Sophie Fischer to Athens. In her first season in the Red & Black, Fischer finished as the top blocker in the SEC and third-best in the country (1.55 blocks/set). Her 183 total blocks were second nationally and finished third in a single season at Georgia.
The Bulldogs' strong efforts on the service line continued to improve in 2021, registering 1.46 aces per set as a team, ranking second in the SEC. Georgia's 167 total aces also ranked second in the league. Stivrins finished the season second in the league with 0.42 aces per set and atop the SEC with a total of 47 aces to her name.
In the 2020-21 season, the Bulldogs concluded the season sixth in the SEC with 1.30 aces per set. Brynn Chandler tallied 25 aces on the season while Evans tallied 22. Middles Sage (Naves) Powell and Phoebe Awoleye combined for 177 kills for the offense. Awoleye picked up SEC All-Freshman Team accolades in 2020.
Georgia’s serving game flourished under Benning’s tutelage in 2019, finishing in the top three in the SEC for the third-straight season. Georgia concluded the season with a 1.47 aces per set average. Chandler ranked fifth in the league with 0.31 aces per set. Chandler and Evans each tallied more than 30 total aces in 2019.
The Bulldogs appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 2019 for the first time since 2013. It was the second time Georgia eclipsed the 20-win mark, finishing 20-10. The last time Georgia had a pair of 20-win seasons in three years was 1995 and 1997.
In his first three seasons with the Georgia staff, Benning coached the service game to ranking in the top three in the SEC. Georgia led the league in 2017 with 1.57 aces per set, finishing 25th in the country. In 2018, the Bulldogs ranked third in the conference with a 1.48 clip.
The 2017 and 2018 seasons saw Georgia finish above the .500 mark in both seasons, the first time since 2008 and 2009. In 2017, Benning’s first season, the Bulldogs made a jump of 132 places in RPI from the previous season to 57.
Benning previously served in the same capacity for three seasons at Loyola-Marymount on Tom Black's staff. Prior to LMU, Benning served as the Director of Sports for City Beach Volleyball Club since 2004, and spent a total of seven years, including three as head women’s volleyball coach at Ohlone College.
While at LMU, Benning helped the Lions to two NCAA appearances, including a trip to the Sweet 16 after upsetting nationally-ranked Colorado State and Stanford in Palo Alto, California. In addition to LMU’s NCAA showings, Benning assisted in notching a pair of 20-win seasons. The 24 wins LMU recorded in 2015 were the most for the program since collecting 26 in 2003. That same season, LMU finished third in the West Coast Conference, another best for the team since 2003. Benning saw LMU roll in accolades during his three years, including four AVCA All-America selections, six AVCA All-Region picks, an AVCA Region Freshman of the Year, and 11 All-Conference honorees, along with the Defensive Player of the Year in 2016.
Benning helped City Beach win nine Junior National Medals and over 180 Regional and National Tournaments. Consistently one of the top-25 volleyball clubs in the nation, Benning guided over 155 of his City Beach players into collegiate volleyball programs since 2006. In addition to coaching, Benning was responsible for many of the management and executive functions.
Benning, a graduate of Yerba Buena High School in San Jose, California, earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Recreational Management from Cal State East Bay in 2014.
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