Elena Kuiper (Michalski) rejoined the Pack as a part-time assistant coach during the 2022 season and is now entering her 3rd season with the team in 2024. Kuiper is a familiar face on campus after an impactful career as a player for the ThunderWolves from 2014-2017 and a Graduate Assistant Coach during the 2018 campaign.
As a player, Michalski is just the seventh student-athlete in school history to surpass 1,500 assists and claim her spot in the ThunderWolves record book with 1,651 career assists. Her 6.35 assists per game rank seventh all-time at CSU Pueblo. In 2017, Michalski set career highs in virtually every statistical category with 687 assists, 256 digs, and 2.92 digs per set. She averaged 9.16 assists per set, ranking 7th in the RMAC in 2017. She graduated from CSU Pueblo in 2018 with a Master’s in Business Administration and a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration.
Elena is originally from Longmont, Colorado where she attended Longmont High School. She was a 4 year varsity letter winner and 1st Team All-Conference selection at Longmont High School in both soccer and volleyball. During her senior year she was also recognized as a Colorado 2nd Team All-State honoree in volleyball.
Apart from coaching at the University, Kuiper is entering her 5th year as a club coach for High Desert Elite Volleyball Club out of Pueblo West. Her most recent season highlights major success with a 44-8 record and 4 top-2 finishes at qualifying tournaments within USAV, Triple Crown, and the RMR. For her day job, she is a Marketing Manager for a financial technology company based out of Farmington, Utah called LoanPro.
She lives in Pueblo West with her husband Braydon who played men’s basketball for the ThunderWolves (2013-2017) and their daughter Charlie.
