Heather Benson was named the head women's volleyball coach at Keystone College in April 2025. She also serves as the Compliance Coordinator for the athletic department.
Benson comes to Keystone after spending the 2024 season as the head women’s volleyball coach at Maine Maritime Academy. She guided the team to a North Atlantic Conference title and an NCAA Tournament berth.
Benson became the first coach in program history to win a conference championship in their first season. She coached two top-25 nationally ranked athletes (hitting % & triple-doubles), conference Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year, as well as multiple weekly NAC awardees.
Benson previously worked as the head women’s volleyball coach at Thiel College in 2023.
Benson served as assistant coach at Bryn Mawr College in 2022 after serving as an assistant coach at Susquehanna University in 2021. With Benson's assistance, Susquehanna went 24-7 in 2021 and qualified for the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament. That edition of the River Hawks went 2-1 in NCAA tournament play, defeating Maine Maritime in the opening round and earning a 3-1 win over 25th-ranked Bowdoin before falling to MIT in the Sweet 16.
From 2012-2019, Benson was the girls’ volleyball coach at Freedom High School in South Riding, Virginia. In 2018, Benson's team made an unprecedented run to the state semifinal match. She went on to be named LoCo Sports Volleyball Coach of the Year in 2018 as well as Region 5A Coach of the Year. Four players from the 2018 team went on to play collegiate volleyball, including three at the Division I level.
Benson taught as a secondary science teacher for Loudoun County Public Schools in Virginia since 2011. She was a member of the LCPS Curriculum Development Committee for Earth Science and developed the first LCPS Science Symposium with over 20 local professional reviewers. She taught a dual-enrollment GIS course with faculty at James Madison University. Benson spent four years as the Manager of Science Outreach for Research!America and was the Program Director for the HOBY Leadership Conference. She taught conversational, American English to high school students at Lycée Chanzy in Charleville-Mézières, France.
Benson earned a master's in public communication from American University in 2007. She received undergraduate degrees in general science, musical theater and French from the University of South Carolina in 2005. As an undergraduate, she served as president and coach of the University of South Carolina women's club volleyball team.
Overall Head Coaching Record: 18-15 (.546)
