LISLE, Ill. – Former McKendree University men's and women's volleyball assistant coach Christian Staple passed away suddenly Thursday due to complications from a stroke suffered on Tuesday, July 6. Staples was 31 years old at the time of his death.
 
"I am very saddened to hear about the sudden passing of Christian. He was a up-and-coming head coach in men's volleyball and was an amazing human being and one of my best friends," McKendree head volleyball coach Nickie Sanlin said. "He was the most loyal person you've ever met, who only saw the best in everyone. There are no words that can describe what he meant to me. Our prayers and thoughts go out to Christian's family and the Benedictine Athletics Department at this time."
 
Staple, who served as the Bearcats' assistant coach from 2017-21, was recently the head men's volleyball coach at Benedictine University in Lisle, Ill. In his two seasons with the Eagles, Staple led the school to 31-13 overall record and a 21-2 mark in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC). In addition, he guided the program to a National Runner-up finish at the 2021 NCAA Division III Men's Volleyball Championships. The NCAA Tournament appearance was the first in the program's history.
 
Along with winning 31 matches and leading the team to a National Runner-up finish, Staple earned NACC Coach of the Year honors in 2021 and coached a pair of All-American performers.
 
Prior to becoming the head coach at Benedictine, Staple spent five seasons as an assistant coach for both McKendree women's and men's volleyball programs. During his time at McKendree, Staple received the 2017 AVCA Diversity Award, which recognizes coaches for leadership skills, professional development and promoting inclusiveness within the sport of volleyball.
 
Along with coaching stops at both McKendree and Benedictine, Staple served as the assistant director of men's volleyball operations at North Central College in Naperville, Ill., and was also the head boys' volleyball coach at Plainfield High School in Plainfield, Ill.
 
He also served various roles with USA Volleyball, the Benet Academy in Lisle, Ill., the Sports Performance Volleyball Club in Aurora, Ill., and the Hitmen Volleyball Club in Glen Ellyn, Ill.
 
Staple, who is originally from the Chicago suburbs, graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications and was a graduate of Downers Grove South High School in 2009.