Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Getting to know Jenna Orner
4/23/2020 1:05:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Assistant volleyball coach and recruiting coordinator Jenna Orner continues to be a huge asset in the Middle Tennessee volleyball program with her extensive knowledge of the game and outstanding recruiting efforts.
Orner was a libero for the Coastal Carolina volleyball team during her college career and during her senior season she helped lead her team to a conference championship and an NCAA Tournament appearance. Before coming to MT, Orner served as a graduate assistant for the VCU volleyball team in 2016 where she helped the Rams to a 19-14 record and a trip to the Atlantic 10 Conference semifinals.
In the 2019 season alone, Orner helped coach the Blue Raider's to their first Conference USA Tournament appearance since 2013. She has also aided the backrow into producing record performances, such as Bri Tankesley recording her 1,000th career-dig and ranking 10th in the overall program individual career records for digs.
The 2020 volleyball team consists of 14 student-athletes from all over the country and the world. Orner has helped recruit athletes from seven different states and three different countries, and most recently signed an SEC transfer.
Check out this interview with Orner:
What is your earliest memory of volleyball?
"My earliest memory is when I was in elementary school, I would go to practice with my mom and pepper with the high school girls. My mom was the head coach at the high school for many years, took a few years off and is now currently the head coach again. I'm thankful I had someone in my family that introduced volleyball to me at an early age because growing up, there was not much opportunity to play until freshman year of high school, which is when I began playing on a competitive team. Those days in the gym with my mom learning the game is something that really sparked my love for the sport."
Tell me about your playing experience?
"After playing club and high school volleyball for four years in Pennsylvania, I was recruited as a libero to play at Jacksonville University in Florida. I loved my time at JU and made some incredible friends and memories, but following my freshman year I decided to transfer to Coastal Carolina University. I was part of the first recruiting class for Jozsef Forman, who is the current head coach. While working hard to rebuild the program, I learned that trusting the coaches, my teammates and the process can lead to great things. We went on to compete in three championship matches and were fortunate enough to win a conference championship my senior year on our home court to advance to the NCAA Tournament."
When did you decide you wanted to be a coach at the collegiate level?
"I think every student-athlete has the feeling they are not ready to give up the sport they love. For my last semester of college, I interned with the Coastal Carolina volleyball team and Jozsef to see if coaching was really a passion of mine. Once I graduated, I was offered the Director of Operations position for Coastal's volleyball team, and earned another conference championship while on staff. The next year I continued my education at Virginia Commonwealth University as a graduate assistant coach while earning my master's degree in education for sport leadership. After this opportunity, I felt I was ready to take the next step in becoming a full-time assistant."
Did you know Chuck prior to joining the Middle Tennessee program?
"I'm fortunate to say I've known Chuck for a little over 10 years now. He was actually the one who recruited me at Jacksonville. After our first phone call, I knew Chuck was someone who was genuine, compassionate and driven to help athletes achieve their full potential both on and off the court. Not only did he recruit me in college, he helped in my transfer process to Coastal, and years later believed in me enough to offer me my first full-time assistant position at 23 years old. He is one of the most loyal people I know and am thankful to have him as a boss and more importantly, a friend."
What all does being an assistant coach/recruiting coordinator at the collegiate level entail?
"Anyone in the coaching profession will tell you it is a dream to be in the position we are in. To impact the lives of young athletes through the sport you love… it doesn't get much better than that. As an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator, I believe the most important part of my job is making genuine relationships with our recruits and players. It's so important to not only find players that elevate your gym and make your program better, but to also find players that add to the culture and vision you have established. Our players understand they can come to us with anything and we will be there to help, or just simply listen. Forming those relationships helps our athletes know they are truly cared for both on and off the court, which then helps push our program forward when it's time to compete on game day."
What type of athlete do you look for when recruiting?
"Physically, we look for players that are able to compete and win in one of the top conferences in the country. Middle Tennessee has a winning tradition of seven trips to the NCAA Tournament, a Sweet-16 appearance and 11 AVCA All-Americans. We look to find players that can play at this standard and help hang more banners in our gym. Culturally, we look for gritty and tough athletes that are willing to grind and work for something bigger than themselves. We look for those that fit our team motto 'All In All The Time'. We also hold a high standard academically and want players who excel both on the court and in the classroom."
What are your hopes and expectations for this upcoming season?
"This past season was a big push forward for our program; making the Conference USA Tournament for the first time since 2013 and climbing in the RPI standings. It was a tough two years leading up to the fall, but we had some incredible seniors that really led the way and wanted to leave the program better than when they started. I'm grateful for Mikaela (Weidmann), Bri (Tankesley), Taylor (Hammill) and Dora (Peonia) for helping the program achieve the goals we set for the season. With COVID-19 occurring this spring and losing four seniors, our fall will definitely look different. However, our talented incoming 2020 class will add to our driven and motivated returners with expectations of climbing higher in the standings. I'm excited to watch new players step up in leadership roles to continue to push the program further."
Follow Us
Keep up with Blue Raider Volleyball online: Middle Tennessee Blue Raider Volleyball on Facebook, @MT_Volleyball on Twitter and @mt_volleyball on Instagram.
Orner was a libero for the Coastal Carolina volleyball team during her college career and during her senior season she helped lead her team to a conference championship and an NCAA Tournament appearance. Before coming to MT, Orner served as a graduate assistant for the VCU volleyball team in 2016 where she helped the Rams to a 19-14 record and a trip to the Atlantic 10 Conference semifinals.
In the 2019 season alone, Orner helped coach the Blue Raider's to their first Conference USA Tournament appearance since 2013. She has also aided the backrow into producing record performances, such as Bri Tankesley recording her 1,000th career-dig and ranking 10th in the overall program individual career records for digs.
The 2020 volleyball team consists of 14 student-athletes from all over the country and the world. Orner has helped recruit athletes from seven different states and three different countries, and most recently signed an SEC transfer.
Check out this interview with Orner:
What is your earliest memory of volleyball?
"My earliest memory is when I was in elementary school, I would go to practice with my mom and pepper with the high school girls. My mom was the head coach at the high school for many years, took a few years off and is now currently the head coach again. I'm thankful I had someone in my family that introduced volleyball to me at an early age because growing up, there was not much opportunity to play until freshman year of high school, which is when I began playing on a competitive team. Those days in the gym with my mom learning the game is something that really sparked my love for the sport."
Tell me about your playing experience?
"After playing club and high school volleyball for four years in Pennsylvania, I was recruited as a libero to play at Jacksonville University in Florida. I loved my time at JU and made some incredible friends and memories, but following my freshman year I decided to transfer to Coastal Carolina University. I was part of the first recruiting class for Jozsef Forman, who is the current head coach. While working hard to rebuild the program, I learned that trusting the coaches, my teammates and the process can lead to great things. We went on to compete in three championship matches and were fortunate enough to win a conference championship my senior year on our home court to advance to the NCAA Tournament."
When did you decide you wanted to be a coach at the collegiate level?
"I think every student-athlete has the feeling they are not ready to give up the sport they love. For my last semester of college, I interned with the Coastal Carolina volleyball team and Jozsef to see if coaching was really a passion of mine. Once I graduated, I was offered the Director of Operations position for Coastal's volleyball team, and earned another conference championship while on staff. The next year I continued my education at Virginia Commonwealth University as a graduate assistant coach while earning my master's degree in education for sport leadership. After this opportunity, I felt I was ready to take the next step in becoming a full-time assistant."
Did you know Chuck prior to joining the Middle Tennessee program?
"I'm fortunate to say I've known Chuck for a little over 10 years now. He was actually the one who recruited me at Jacksonville. After our first phone call, I knew Chuck was someone who was genuine, compassionate and driven to help athletes achieve their full potential both on and off the court. Not only did he recruit me in college, he helped in my transfer process to Coastal, and years later believed in me enough to offer me my first full-time assistant position at 23 years old. He is one of the most loyal people I know and am thankful to have him as a boss and more importantly, a friend."
What all does being an assistant coach/recruiting coordinator at the collegiate level entail?
"Anyone in the coaching profession will tell you it is a dream to be in the position we are in. To impact the lives of young athletes through the sport you love… it doesn't get much better than that. As an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator, I believe the most important part of my job is making genuine relationships with our recruits and players. It's so important to not only find players that elevate your gym and make your program better, but to also find players that add to the culture and vision you have established. Our players understand they can come to us with anything and we will be there to help, or just simply listen. Forming those relationships helps our athletes know they are truly cared for both on and off the court, which then helps push our program forward when it's time to compete on game day."
What type of athlete do you look for when recruiting?
"Physically, we look for players that are able to compete and win in one of the top conferences in the country. Middle Tennessee has a winning tradition of seven trips to the NCAA Tournament, a Sweet-16 appearance and 11 AVCA All-Americans. We look to find players that can play at this standard and help hang more banners in our gym. Culturally, we look for gritty and tough athletes that are willing to grind and work for something bigger than themselves. We look for those that fit our team motto 'All In All The Time'. We also hold a high standard academically and want players who excel both on the court and in the classroom."
What are your hopes and expectations for this upcoming season?
"This past season was a big push forward for our program; making the Conference USA Tournament for the first time since 2013 and climbing in the RPI standings. It was a tough two years leading up to the fall, but we had some incredible seniors that really led the way and wanted to leave the program better than when they started. I'm grateful for Mikaela (Weidmann), Bri (Tankesley), Taylor (Hammill) and Dora (Peonia) for helping the program achieve the goals we set for the season. With COVID-19 occurring this spring and losing four seniors, our fall will definitely look different. However, our talented incoming 2020 class will add to our driven and motivated returners with expectations of climbing higher in the standings. I'm excited to watch new players step up in leadership roles to continue to push the program further."
Follow Us
Keep up with Blue Raider Volleyball online: Middle Tennessee Blue Raider Volleyball on Facebook, @MT_Volleyball on Twitter and @mt_volleyball on Instagram.
Players Mentioned
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