Women's Volleyball
Khrystenko, Anna
Anna Khrystenko
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
Anna Khrystenko (pronounced Ah-nuh Kris-tenk-oh) joined the Oregon State staff as an assistant coach in 2020 and was promoted to Associate Head Coach ahead of the 2022 season.
In 2021, Khrystenko helped coach Grace Massey to All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention honors, making Massey the first Beaver to earn all-league honors in two straight seasons since 2016-17. She also helped develop middle blocker DiLara Unal, who averaged 0.96 blocks per set as a true freshman.
During a shortened COVID-19 season in 2020-21, Oregon State went 5-13 in a season that was all conference matches. The Beavers swept Arizona State and California in Khrystenko's first season on staff, along with a win against USC. She assisted in Grace Massey being named to the Pac-12 All-Conference Team, while Mychael Vernon and Kateryna Tkachenko each earned Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors during the season. Despite the shortened season, four Beavers earned a spot in the program's single-season records. Freshman Izzi Szulchewski recorded the seventh-highest marks for freshman in assists (589) and digs per set (2.82), while posting the fifth-best freshman mark in a season with 8.79 assists per set. Massey notched the seventh-most digs per set in a season with 4.21. The freshman combo of Vernon and Aliyah McDonald tabbed top-10 marks for freshmen, Vernon third with 3.35 kills per set and McDonald with an attacking percentage of .239 for ninth.
“I am very excited to have Anna joining our staff,” head coach Mark Barnard said. “After stints in the ACC and Big 10, she is well and truly versed in what it takes to operate successfully within the Pac-12. She has strong recruiting ties both domestically and internationally as well as a depth of international playing experience – all of which will significantly benefit this program. Anna is extremely well regarded by the student-athletes that she has previously coached and, in my mind, that speaks volumes for her as a person and coach.”
Khrystenko brings a depth of volleyball knowledge after six years of coaching along with five years on the Ukranian National team and more than a decade of being a professional athlete in her home country.
“I don’t know what to say except that I am very happy,” Khrystenko said. “I want to thank (OSU Depury Athletic Director) Marianne Vydra and Mark Barnard for this opportunity and the team for allowing me to be a part of the family.”
“I could tell during my interview process that Oregon State is a special place with special people. I felt at home and I felt care and attention from the moment I stepped on campus. I’m looking forward to getting started. I’m honored and thrilled to call OSU and Corvallis my new home.”
Khrystenko joins Beaver Nation following a three-year run as an assistant coach at Rutgers. The 2018 season had the Scarlet Knights reaching new levels since joining the Big Ten, including setting the school record with 300 team blocks. The squad set school marks in six major statistical categories in conference play including kills per set, attack percentage, assists per set, service aces, blocks per set and points.
Prior to coaching the Scarlet Knights, she spent three years at Florida State, where she focused on blocking and international recruiting. During her time in Tallahassee, the Seminoles finished as Atlantic Coast Conference runners-up each year and advanced to a pair of Sweet 16’s in three NCAA Tournament appearances.
In addition to three top 20 rankings in the AVCA Final Poll, Khrystenko coached two All-American and All-ACC middles. In 2015, Florida State’s front row finished with 370 blocks and ranked fifth in the NCAA in blocks per set (3.03 b/s). It marked the third straight season the Seminoles had at least 500 assisted blocks, posting 634 on the season.
The native of Ukraine played five seasons on the Ukranian National Team (2002-06), competing in a pair of Junior World Championships and European Championships, and took fifth at the World Students games in the Republic of Korea in 2003.
She went on to play professionally from 1995-2008, earning four Ukranian Championship titles (2001-04). She was awarded multiple honors as ‘Best Blocker’ and ‘Best Scorer’ during her career. A four-time winner of the Ukranian Cup (1996, 2001-03) and earned the honor of ‘Best Server’ following a third-place finish at the 2002 European Top Teams Cup.
Khrystenko stepped into coaching as a state coach of volleyball of Ukraine and a manager of the Ukrainian Girls’ team in 2008 before moving up to assistant coach of the country’s Junior Women’s team in 2009. In that role, she was responsible for selecting players and coaches for the teams while also advancing volleyball development in Ukraine.
She served as a Chairman of the Athletic Commission and as a member of the Executive Committee for the Ukrainian Volleyball Federation and as a member of the Executive Committee and National Olympic Committee.
She earned a Bachelor’s degree in business management from Tavrian University of Business Law in 2000. She furthered her education with an L.L.B. degree in Civil Law and an L.L.M. in civil and commercial law from the National Law Academy. In addition, she secured a Bachelor’s degree in coaching volleyball and a Master’s degree in physical education and coaching from the National University of Ukraine on Physical Education and Sport.
She is married to Alexander Khrystenko and the couple has a son, Ivan.
In 2021, Khrystenko helped coach Grace Massey to All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention honors, making Massey the first Beaver to earn all-league honors in two straight seasons since 2016-17. She also helped develop middle blocker DiLara Unal, who averaged 0.96 blocks per set as a true freshman.
During a shortened COVID-19 season in 2020-21, Oregon State went 5-13 in a season that was all conference matches. The Beavers swept Arizona State and California in Khrystenko's first season on staff, along with a win against USC. She assisted in Grace Massey being named to the Pac-12 All-Conference Team, while Mychael Vernon and Kateryna Tkachenko each earned Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors during the season. Despite the shortened season, four Beavers earned a spot in the program's single-season records. Freshman Izzi Szulchewski recorded the seventh-highest marks for freshman in assists (589) and digs per set (2.82), while posting the fifth-best freshman mark in a season with 8.79 assists per set. Massey notched the seventh-most digs per set in a season with 4.21. The freshman combo of Vernon and Aliyah McDonald tabbed top-10 marks for freshmen, Vernon third with 3.35 kills per set and McDonald with an attacking percentage of .239 for ninth.
“I am very excited to have Anna joining our staff,” head coach Mark Barnard said. “After stints in the ACC and Big 10, she is well and truly versed in what it takes to operate successfully within the Pac-12. She has strong recruiting ties both domestically and internationally as well as a depth of international playing experience – all of which will significantly benefit this program. Anna is extremely well regarded by the student-athletes that she has previously coached and, in my mind, that speaks volumes for her as a person and coach.”
Khrystenko brings a depth of volleyball knowledge after six years of coaching along with five years on the Ukranian National team and more than a decade of being a professional athlete in her home country.
“I don’t know what to say except that I am very happy,” Khrystenko said. “I want to thank (OSU Depury Athletic Director) Marianne Vydra and Mark Barnard for this opportunity and the team for allowing me to be a part of the family.”
“I could tell during my interview process that Oregon State is a special place with special people. I felt at home and I felt care and attention from the moment I stepped on campus. I’m looking forward to getting started. I’m honored and thrilled to call OSU and Corvallis my new home.”
Khrystenko joins Beaver Nation following a three-year run as an assistant coach at Rutgers. The 2018 season had the Scarlet Knights reaching new levels since joining the Big Ten, including setting the school record with 300 team blocks. The squad set school marks in six major statistical categories in conference play including kills per set, attack percentage, assists per set, service aces, blocks per set and points.
Prior to coaching the Scarlet Knights, she spent three years at Florida State, where she focused on blocking and international recruiting. During her time in Tallahassee, the Seminoles finished as Atlantic Coast Conference runners-up each year and advanced to a pair of Sweet 16’s in three NCAA Tournament appearances.
In addition to three top 20 rankings in the AVCA Final Poll, Khrystenko coached two All-American and All-ACC middles. In 2015, Florida State’s front row finished with 370 blocks and ranked fifth in the NCAA in blocks per set (3.03 b/s). It marked the third straight season the Seminoles had at least 500 assisted blocks, posting 634 on the season.
The native of Ukraine played five seasons on the Ukranian National Team (2002-06), competing in a pair of Junior World Championships and European Championships, and took fifth at the World Students games in the Republic of Korea in 2003.
She went on to play professionally from 1995-2008, earning four Ukranian Championship titles (2001-04). She was awarded multiple honors as ‘Best Blocker’ and ‘Best Scorer’ during her career. A four-time winner of the Ukranian Cup (1996, 2001-03) and earned the honor of ‘Best Server’ following a third-place finish at the 2002 European Top Teams Cup.
Khrystenko stepped into coaching as a state coach of volleyball of Ukraine and a manager of the Ukrainian Girls’ team in 2008 before moving up to assistant coach of the country’s Junior Women’s team in 2009. In that role, she was responsible for selecting players and coaches for the teams while also advancing volleyball development in Ukraine.
She served as a Chairman of the Athletic Commission and as a member of the Executive Committee for the Ukrainian Volleyball Federation and as a member of the Executive Committee and National Olympic Committee.
She earned a Bachelor’s degree in business management from Tavrian University of Business Law in 2000. She furthered her education with an L.L.B. degree in Civil Law and an L.L.M. in civil and commercial law from the National Law Academy. In addition, she secured a Bachelor’s degree in coaching volleyball and a Master’s degree in physical education and coaching from the National University of Ukraine on Physical Education and Sport.
She is married to Alexander Khrystenko and the couple has a son, Ivan.
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