Tessa Jones has been named the Head Volleyball Coach at Newman University, Director of Athletics Vic Trilli announced Wednesday. Jones comes to Newman after serving two years as an assistant coach at Drury University in Springfield, Mo.
At Drury, Jones helped turn the Panther volleyball program into a contender in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. In her first season,Drury posted a 16-14 record, which was the team's first winning season as an NCAA Div. II member. Last season she saw continued improvement as Drury posted a 22-13 overall mark.
"We are really excited for Tessa," Drury Head Coach Ashleigh Fitzgerald said. "She has worked extremely hard in two years at Drury and has helped us achieve a great deal of success. I am confident she will do a graet job at Newman, and will help elevate them to the top of the Heartland Conference.
A native of Lee's Summit, Mo., Jones played volleyball for one season at the University of Kansas, before transferring to Washburn University for the final three seasons of her collegiate career. At Washburn, Jones was a three-time All-American, and was the MIAA MVP in her final season with the Lady Blues. As a right-side hitter, Jones finished fourth in career kills (1,511) after posting a school-record 657 kills in her senior season. She helped lead the Lady Blues to a 100-16 record during her three seasons.
"Tessa brings a little bit of everything to the table," Trilli said. "She's played successfully at a high level, she has helped turn a program around at Drury, and I am excited to see what she can do for the Newman volleyball program."
