Kelsey Herber named to Forty Under 40 Class

Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly named Kelsey Herber, Huntington University’s head volleyball coach, to its Forty Under 40 Class of 2024. She was named to the list on March 28.

Chosen from a pool of over 200 nominations, Forty Under 40 recipients are selected by a panel of distinguished judges. Winners are identified by their impactful community service, business achievements and noteworthy contributions in Northeast Indiana.

“Receiving this award is an encouragement and motivation to continue passionately pursuing the life of ministry God has called me to. I feel very honored, humbled and grateful,” said Herber.

Although Herber is in her fifth year as head coach, her roots with Huntington’s volleyball program go back to her college days, where she joined the Huntington team as an outside hitter — winning an All-Conference Honorable Mention badge her final year.

Upon graduation, Herber found herself drawn into various coaching and leadership positions including serving as a coach for Empowered Volleyball Academy for eight years, before transitioning to her current role as Director of Mental Health. Herber also was an assistant coach for Huntington University for three years, before taking the head coach position over in 2019.

“Coaching is one of my greatest passions in life. Having the opportunity to lead a group of young women on the court and to walk alongside them in their lives is an honor. Coaching goes far beyond the court and is much bigger than volleyball. I believe there is an eternal impact, and relationship is at the foundation of my coaching philosophy,” said Herber.

In her first season leading the Foresters, Herber’s squad earned the most wins in program history in 10 years. Over the next four seasons, her players racked up 18 All-Conference honors and collected 16 Scholar Athlete badges.

“I may be the leader of my team, but my players have taught me, inspired me, and encouraged me in countless ways,” said Herber. “God has used this role in my life to grow my heart, mind and abilities. I’m not the same person I was when I began coaching, and I have no doubt there is more transformation to come.”

However, being a coach isn’t the only hat that Herber wears in her community — she is also an on-air personality for Star 88.3 for the Josh and Friends Show that airs on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. While this might seem out of the box to some, Herber believes her different roles play off of each other.

“I have a blast participating in each of these roles. With my degrees being in broadcasting and counseling, I have found multiple ways to implement each of these skill sets,”

Herber said. “I consider each ‘hat’ as an opportunity to be a light for Jesus in our community.” Herber lives in Roanoke with her husband Zach, HU alum, 2017, and her son Ren.