MALIBU, Calif. - Pepperdine women's volleyball Head Coach Scott Wong announced today the hiring of former Pepperdine standout Alli Rust, who joins the program as an assistant coach.
 
"I am glad to officially welcome Alli Rust back to Malibu to recruit, mentor, teach, and coach these amazing young women that we get to be a part of their lives", said Wong. "Alli excelled at Pepperdine as a student-athlete on and off the court and she from day one makes our program even stronger!"
 
Prior to Pepperdine, Rust coached at Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho. Rust helped coach outside hitter Abby Black to First Team All-GNAC (Great Northwest Athletic Conference) in the 2025 season. She also oversaw the development of middle blocker Hailey Cheney, who earned GNAC Offensive Player of the Week on October 13, 2025, and an All-Conference Honorable Mention.
 
She joined the Nighthawks after serving as the head coach of the Centennial High School varsity program in Boise, where she was born and raised, for two seasons. She was also a coach with the Idaho ONE Volleyball Club. Additionally, she led the Idaho ONE 17 Elite team to win the club's first national championship in 2024.
 
"I am so excited to return to Pepperdine, an amazing place that shaped me both as a student-athlete and a person," commented Rust. "This program played such a pivotal role in my growth, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to invest in the next generation of Waves!"
 
The former Alli O'Harra, Rust's collegiate volleyball roots began with Pepperdine, where she played from 2017 to 2020. She earned spots on the WCC All-Freshman Team and WCC All-Academic teams, with two NCAA Tournament appearances. In 2021, Rust transferred to Boise State University as a graduate student, joining the Broncos' women's volleyball team. She played a key role in leading BSU to its first-ever Mountain West Tournament Championship, earning a berth into the NCAA Tournament.
 
In 2017, Rust graduated from Centennial High School in Boise. During her high school years, she was a four-year varsity middle blocker and earned multiple All-Southern Idaho Conference honors. She played for a number of volleyball clubs in the valley, helping her teams secure a Boise Bid Championship and a 19th-place finish at the 2016 USAV Junior Olympics.
 
ABOUT PEPPERDINE WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
Pepperdine women's volleyball has reached 26 NCAA Tournaments since 1981 as one of the most successful collegiate programs on the West Coast. The 12-time WCC Champions Waves have consistently produced top talent with 21 All-American selections with honorees in six straight decades. With multiple Olympians going through the program, Kim Hill brought home the program's first gold medal at the 2020 Olympic Games.

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