Jenna Orner - Women's Volleyball Coach - Middle Tennessee State University Athletics

Jenna Orner

Title:
Assistant Volleyball Coach/Recruiting Coordinator
Email:
jenna.orner@mtsu.edu
Phone:
494-7631

Jenna Orner enters her eighth season on the Middle Tennessee volleyball staff in 2024 in her second season as Associate Head Coach. Orner has spent six seasons as an assistant coach and continues her duties as recruiting coordinator. She is currently the Conference-USA representative of the AVCA Assistant Coaches Committee.

In the 2023 season, Coach Orner assisted the Blue Raiders to their first 20-win season since 2011 and their second appearance in the NIVC in program history. The 20 wins puts this year's team fourth in total wins in the 25-point era and fourth in winning percentage (.667). The team recorded 11 Conference USA wins which is the most conference wins since MTSU joined CUSA in 2013. Offensively, the Blue Raiders posted their best hitting percentage (.303) in program history. MTSU earned their first ranked win since 2010 by defeating No. 25 Auburn on the road. Senior Taylor Eisert was recognized as Conference USA Setter of the Year. Eisert ranked up numerous awards throughout the season including six CUSA Setter of the Week, a TSWA Volleyball Athlete of the Week and a CUSA All-Academic Team honor. Eisert broke the program record for career assists in the 25-point era and reached 3000 career assists. Adri Rhoda was named CUSA Offensive Player of the Week three times. Five Blue Raiders were named to the All-Conference teams. Eisert, Kayla Henley and Rhoda were tabbed to the First Team as Laure Jansen and Kaylee Oscarson were tabbed to the Second Team.

In the 2022 season, Coach Orner helped lead the Blue Raiders to their first winning season since 2013 and their fourth consecutive appearance in the Conference USA Tournament. Offensively, the Blue Raiders put on one of the program’s best seasons ever. At the end of the season, MTSU was ranked 12th in the country with a team mark of 1.90 aces per set which ranks first for the program in the 25-point era. The team’s 203 total aces also ranks first in the new scoring era, 32 aces ahead of the next best season. On the block the Blue Raiders were no slouches, recording a total of 68 solo blocks, just one away from tying the 25-point era team record. Senior Kayla Henley was recognized with Second Team All-Conference USA honors after becoming one of the best right-side hitters in the country. Freshman Adri Rhoda racked up numerous honors throughout the season including six C-USA Freshman of the Week honors, Second Team All-Conference USA, and C-USA All-Freshman Team honors. Rhoda erased and tied many of the program’s 25-point era records, including the single-season ace record (67), single-match ace record (9), single-match solo block record (3), and more. Rhoda ended the season ranked fourth in the nation for total aces and was sixth for aces per set, both ranks were first among all freshman in the nation and first among all players in Conference USA. Junior Taylor Eisert had her best season yet, earning two C-USA Setter of the Week honors and one TSWA Volleyball Player of the Week honor to go along with her C-USA All-Academic nod. Eisert set the program’s 25-pt era record for team hitting percentage at .532 and the highest single-match team hitting percentage of C-USA teams this season in a sweep over Miami (OH). Graduate student Kaylee Oscarson received the C-USA Fall Spirit of Service honor for her contributions to community service while excelling academically and athletically. In total, the Blue Raiders earned nine all-tournament honors throughout the preseason on their way to the second-best preseason record (11-3) in the program’s 46-year history.

During a year that was riddled with Covid-19 and injuries, Orner helped send the Blue Raiders to the National Invitational Volleyball Championship tournament for the first time in program history during the 2021 season. The Blue Raiders made it to the semifinals in Conference USA for the first time ever after sweeping North Texas in the opening round of the C-USA Tournament. The team took advantage of playing on their home court in 2021, ending the season with a .833 home win percentage, the highest mark the Blue Raiders have had since 2009. Orner helped oversee one of the best statistical seasons from a team standpoint, averaging 11.2 assists/set, 1.6 service aces/set, and 13.9 digs/set - each ranked second during her first five seasons with the Blue Raiders. C-USA Libero of the Year, Marley Banton, would take home the first superlative for the Blue Raiders since 2010 to go along with her All-Conference Second Team selection. Banton also took home Defensive Player of the Week (9/27), being the first since 2015. Samira Lawson Body was named to the C-USA All-Academic Team, All-Conference Second Team, and is the first Blue Raider to be named CoSIDA All-District First Team since 2007. Taylor Eisert became the fastest Blue Raider to reach to 1,000-career assist milestone during the 25-point rally scoring era, doing so in 27 matches.

In the 2020-21 season under the guidance of Orner the Blue Raiders clinched a berth in the C-USA Tournament for the second straight season. It is the first time since 2013 that the Blue Raiders have clinched a spot in a conference tournament in consecutive seasons. The Blue Raiders would significantly improve the stat category in C-USA play, finishing fourth in hitting percentage, eighth in opponent hitting percentage, and sixth in kills. Amelia Van Der Werff was voted Freshman of the Week, which is the first time a Middle Tennessee player was voted Freshman of the Week for Conference-USA. Teammate Taylor Eisert was later named C-USA Freshman of the Week. Under Orner’s tutelage, Amelia Van Der Werff was selected to the C-USA Volleyball All-Freshman team. She is the third player in program history to be named to the C-USA All-Freshman team. Also, Samira Lawson Body was named to the C-USA All-Academic team. Her selection marks the third consecutive year a Middle Tennessee player has received the honor. Orner would guide freshman Taylor Eisert to earning the second-highest assist total (54) in a four-set match in conference play. The team would notch another program high 3.78 Team GPA (ranking in the top 20 percent of Division I women's programs), leading to their fourth consecutive AVCA team academic award. Also under Orner's tutelage, Amalie Jorgensen was named to the Danish Senior National Team. Jorgensen plays pro volleyball in Belgium. Dora Peonia currently plays in the Italian A2 League.

With Orner's guidance in 2019, the Middle Tennessee State defense held opponents to an 11.12 assist average, ranking fifth in C-USA. The Blue Raiders continued to grow as the team recorded the highest number of kills (1,425), digs (1,669), and assists (1,334) the program has seen in the past five seasons. The team finished in the season 10th in C-USA in digs. Orner aided in mentoring seniors Taylor Hammill and Brienna Tankesley to their second Conference USA All-Academic Team selection. Orner helped Dora Peonia earn a spot on the C-USA All-Conference Second Team, making her the fifth player in Blue Raider history to be named. Orner also helped guide Kayla Henley to the program's first Conference USA All-Freshman Team honor. Taylor Hammill received the Conference-USA Spirit of Service Award. The team also earned a program-high team GPA of 3.76.

In 2018, Orner aided the team's back row to record the most digs (1,359) in the program's past four seasons. Under Orner's guidance, Bailey Mason earned the program's first Conference USA All-Conference second team nomination, marking the first time a Blue Raider has earned a C-USA conference postseason honor in three seasons. Likewise, Orner aided in mentoring Brienna Tankesley to achieve her first C-USA All-Academic team nomination, marking the second player to receive this honor under her helm. The team's academic focus significantly improved as the team recorded a 3.76 team GPA in the spring, the highest GPA of the program's history. Likewise, 10 players were named to C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll, and a team-high six players earned C-USA Commissioner's Academic Medal. Vonnie Covington received the SAEC Achievement Award.

During her first season as an assistant coach, Orner helped lead the team to the best service ace performance in school history in the 25-point era. In the 1st semester of being hired, the team earned a program-high team GPA of 3.689. Orner helped to significantly improve the team's serving, helping the squad achieve the most service aces (171) and service aces per set (1.64) in the Blue Raider 25-point era. The team would finish the season second in C-USA in aces. Orner helped guide the team to its first AVCA Academic Team Award in program history. Also, Taylor Hammill earned her first C-USA All-Academic team nomination. The team also tied a team-high 11 players named C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll, and four players earned C-USA Commissioner's Academic Medal. Bailey Mason was named one of 14 Conference USA student-athletes to receive the Fall Spirit of Service Award this year.

Before MT, Orner served as a graduate assistant at VCU for the 2016 season. With the Rams, Orner helped VCU to a 19-14 record and a trip to the Atlantic 10 Conference semifinals. On the court, VCU produced a three-time Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week in Jasmin Sneed. Simultaneously, Julia Adler (second team), Vicky Giommarini (All-Rookie), and Sneed were named to All-Atlantic 10 Conference postseason teams.

A 2015 graduate of Coastal Carolina, Orner served as a volunteer assistant for the Chanticleers during the 2015 campaign and was later named director of volleyball operations. During the 2015 season, Orner helped the Chants to a 2015 NCAA Tournament appearance. Orner played libero for three seasons at Coastal Carolina, where she was twice named to the Big South All-Tournament team. Orner also received two Big South Conference Presidential Honor Roll accolades and was named to the All-Academic team her senior season. As a senior in 2014, Orner averaged 4.69 digs per set and led the Chanticleers to the Big South Championship and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Orner recorded a career-high 31 digs in the Big South Championship to help Coastal topple Radford. Orner also played one season at Jacksonville, where Chuck Crawford recruited her.

Orner is a native of Carlisle, Pennsylvania. She is the daughter of Rick and Jackie Orner and has one younger brother, Tanner who played baseball at Grove City College and was CoSIDA Academic All District First Team in 2021. Orner's mother was a gymnast at West Chester University.