Columbus Standard

Indiana University East student-athletes will be greeted by some new faces as teams report for fall practices in August.

The Red Wolves are welcoming Cali Topolski and Dalton Clement as new assistant coaches with the volleyball and men's soccer squads.

"Assistant coaches have very important roles within all of our programs and are vital to the success of a team," IU East Director of Athletics Joe Griffin said. "I'm expecting Cali and Dalton fit in very well as staff members and make great contributions to their teams."

A former IU East volleyball player, Topolski returns to join Red Wolves Head Coach Kim McConaha.

"Having Cali back at East is a highlight in my head coaching career," McConaha said. "She is excited to be back."

Topolski was an All-River States Conference First Team choice in 2019 and a second team selection in 2018. She was the sixth IU East volleyball player with 1,000 career assists totaling 1,669 in just two seasons.

"Becoming a coach has always been a dream of hers," McConaha said. "She has the drive and mindset to become a great coach. I'm looking forward to working with Cali because she is not far removed from her college playing years. She'll bring a lot of good perspectives for me and be able to offer insight to the student-athletes."

Men's Soccer Head Coach Steve Moore has added Clement to his squad.

"Really excited to get Dalton on board here at IUE," Moore said. "He's a hungry, ambitious young coach that wants to learn and grow as much as he can, and our players are going to reap the benefit of that."

Clement comes to IU East after spending two years with the women's soccer team at Hanover College as the Panthers won a pair of Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships with an appearance in the NCAA Div. III National Tournament in 2021. He is also currently the Director of Coaching at Cardinal United in Union City (Ind.).

"He's definitely going to be a relatable figure for our players, and will bring some new thoughts and ideas X-and-O wise, that should benefit the program as well," Moore said. "We've had a good track record thus far of helping to develop and further the careers of our previous assistants, and I'll expect the same for Dalton."

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