Sydney Cheatham M '20 joined the North Central College staff prior to the 2018-19 academic year as a graduate assistant coach for the Cardinals' women's volleyball program and was promoted to assistant coach for both the men's and women's programs prior to the 2019-20 season after just one year as a graduate assistant. In December of 2022, she was named the 11th women's volleyball head coach in program history.
In her first season at the helm, the Cardinals went 18-10 with three All-CCIW selections and two CSC Academic All-District awards.
Cheatham came to North Central after competing collegiately at NCAA Division I Western Michigan University for four seasons, earning Academic All-Conference honors twice.
Cheatham was influential in her leadership role at WMU, earning the team influencer award in each of her last two seasons, while also receiving the Gal Werme Community Service award, as well as the WMU Champion and Coach's awards.
In April of 2021, Cheatham was named NCAA Division III Men’s Volleyball National Assistant Coach of the Year by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) and served as interim head coach for both men's and women's programs for part of the 2021 season while head coach Kyle Exline was on paternity leave.
A native of Naperville, Illinois, Cheatham graduated from Western Michigan in the spring of 2018 with a bachelor's degree in psychology and graduated from North Central with a master's degree in leadership studies in the spring of 2020.
