Head coach Todd Garvey announced Sanders as his first assistant coach at JSU for both indoor and beach volleyball in July of 2018.
Sanders arrived at Jax State following a three-year stint as the student manager for the University of Kentucky women's volleyball team. As manager, Sanders' duties involved equipment setup, statistical keeping and analysis and film management for all matches. Over his three years on staff, the Wildcats posted a 73-22 record and reached the NCAA Tournament each year, including an Elite Eight appearance in 2017.
The Lexington, Ky., native also spent time playing for UK's men's volleyball team as a middle blocker. The squad made it to the Final Four in St. Louis in his final year, before falling to Cal Poly. Between his men's and women's programs, Sanders also served as a club coach for Lexington's United Volleyball Club.
''I'm humbled to be in the position that I am in today," said Sanders. "I've known Coach Garvey for a couple of years and I'm eager to get started in the office with him and the rest of the JSU staff. We want to be part of something that the JSU community will be proud of, on and off the court, and compete for OVC Championships."
Sanders helped guide the Gamecocks to an 18-14 record in his first season, where the Gamecocks earned the No. 4 seed for the Ohio Valley Conference tournament and won their first postseason match in nine years. In year two, the Gamecocks surprised many outside the program with a 13-3 run to the OVC championship, JSU's first title in 10 years. Sanders worked with three different primary middles throughout the season, mixed in with a senior core of outsides and a true freshman taking over at libero during Jax State's standout season. The Gamecocks finished 20-10 overall, getting put out of the OVC Tournament in the semifinal round by Morehead State.
Sanders graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and Exercise Science.
