Catawba College

Bella Thompson joined the Catawba Women's Volleyball staff as a volunteer assistant coach ahead of the 2026 season.

Thompson comes to Catawba following an outstanding career as a Division I student-athlete and team captain at Marshall University. In four seasons with the Thundering Herd, the Mooresville, N.C., native amassed 1,341 assists, 48 service aces and 488 digs. Thompson was a Sun Belt Conference Setter of the Week selection as a senior thanks to a week that included back-to-back double-doubles and a placement on the Wofford Invitational All-Tournament Team.

While in West Virginia, Thompson was named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team and the SBC Commissioner's List in addition to earning multiple institutional academic honors. She served as president of Marshall's Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS) chapter and gained global learning experiences by studying abroad at Oxford University and across Spain.

Thompson brings a passion for teaching the game, developing relationships with athletes, and helping players grow both athletically and academically. She is committed to creating a positive learning environment where players can develop their skills, compete with confidence and enjoy the process of becoming better volleyball players.

Thompson was a Yeager Scholar and graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree in cyber forensics and security from Marshall in Spring 2026. Professionally, Thompson is an AI Solution Architect for Syniti, part of the Capgemini group.