BILLINGS, Mont. – On Tuesday, Rocky Mountain College announced Yang Yang as its head volleyball coach. Yang replaces Laurie Kelly, who announced her retirement after serving as head coach of the Battlin' Bears since 2007.

Yang worked under Kelly as an assistant coach for the past four years. During that time, she was named Frontier Conference Assistant Coach of the Year in 2016 and 2018. 

From Yong An, China, Yang graduated from Rocky Mountain College in 2015. As a player under Kelly, Yang helped lead the Battlin' Bears to a No. 1 ranking in 2014 with a 32-3 record. She was named a First Team NAIA All-American, the first player in program history to receive the honor.

"Yang has spent the past four years learning from Laurie on how to run a program, recruit quality student-athletes, and coach those student-athletes," said Rocky athletics director, Jeff Malby. "We are fully confident that Yang will carry forward all of the successes this program has experienced under Laurie Kelly."

Kelly retires after a 40-year coaching career that spanned both high school and collegiate levels. A 2005 inductee in the Montana Coaches Association Hall of Fame, she began her role as Rocky's head volleyball coach in 2007. Under Kelly, the Battlin' Bears won four Frontier Conference tournament championships and participated in six NAIA national tournaments. She was selected Frontier Conference Volleyball Coach of the Year in 2014 and 2018.

Yang is excited to become the next Battlin' Bears head volleyball coach. "I am honored to be the next head women's volleyball coach for Rocky Mountain College. I am looking forward to continuing the growth and success of the program."