Manuela Ibarguen

Title

Assistant Coach, Volleyball

Drury volleyball head coach Kelly Richardson has made the first addition to her coaching staff with the hiring of Manuela Ibarguen as assistant coach in February 2026.

Ibarguen joins the Panthers as a full-time assistant for Richardson -- who was named the program's head coach in January -- following a two-year stint as an assistant on the beach and indoor volleyball staffs at her alma mater, Missouri State. The former Bear joined the MSU staff in March 2024 working with the beach program, before adding assistant duties with the indoor team the following August.

"Ella brings a wealth of knowledge both as a player, and as a coach," Richardson commented. "She teaches the game with precision and is a rising star in the coaching profession. She's worked hard to build meaningful and strong relationships in the southwest Missouri volleyball community, and we couldn't be happier to have her joining our Panther family!"

In her two seasons with Missouri State, Ibarguen helped mentor the Beach Bears to a 44-17 overall record, including a 26-win 2024 campaign in which she helped guide the program to a school record for wins.

Prior to joining the MSU staff, Ibarguen competed as a Division I standout for the Bears from 2021-22, earning First-Team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors her senior year. She recorded 635 kills and 527 digs over 53 matches during her two-year career with the Bears. She also competed for Polk State College for two seasons and garnered First-Team AVCA All-America honors in 2019 while helping the Eagles to a fourth-place finish at the NJCAA Division I Championship.

A native of Colombia, Ibarguen graduated from Missouri State with her undergraduate degree in sports medicine, as well as a pair of undergraduate certificates in nutrition in 2023.