Bryleigh Buchanan

Biography

SIU alum Bryleigh Buchanan was added to the Southern Illinois coaching staff on June 16, 2025. A native of Harrisburg, Ill., Buchanan is a true Southern Illinoisan, coming to SIU from John A. Logan College where she was an assistant for three seasons. She was also an operations intern for SMASH Volleyball Academy in Carbondale from 2021-2022. Her playing career followed a similar path, beginning at John A. Logan College where she earned her Associate's Degree before finishing with her Bachelor's at SIU in the school of Health and Human Sciences in 2022. She then stayed at SIU and received her Master's of Science in Sport Administration Management in 2023. Buchanan appeared in six matches for the Salukis in 2021, collecting 16 kills. As a freshman at John A. Logan, she was named to the NJCAA All-Region Team after tallying 255 kills and leading the team with 87 blocks.