Murray State University Athletics
Just two years after leaving MSU, Wood lands head coaching job
7/8/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Just two years after leaving the volleyball court at Murray State following a brilliant four-year playing career, former volleyball standout Jessica Wood was named the head coach for women's volleyball at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs on Wednesday.
The three-time Ohio Valley Conference post-season honoree who played at Murray State from 1998 through 2001 has been the assistant coach at UCCS for the last two seasons. The former outside hitter completed her degree at UCCS in 2003 while serving as assistant coach. She resigned last month to coach club volleyball, but got a call from the school's new athletics director, Stephen Kirkham.
"It was a spur-of-the-moment kind of thing," Wood said. "I'd been working with the club team and going with them full-time, and I got a call from the AD (athletics director) about the position. I said I was interested, and came in to talk with the new AD, and we talked, and I got really excited about the position. They offered, and I accepted!"
Wood, 23, has experience with spur-of-the-moment calls. Murray State head coach David Schwepker, just gaining the position at MSU in February 1998, called Wood in his first week at Murray and asked her to come to play volleyball with the Racers. She had offers from smaller colleges, but jumped at the chance to play in NCAA Division I.
"It was a weird situation, coming into Murray that fast," she said, "and this is kind of the same situation. Some of the new girls I've got coming in this season are players that I helped recruit, so I know about them, and that does make the transition easier.
"My experience at Murray State made a huge impact on me. I had these coaches I could look up to. They showed me how to approach players and teach a lot of techniques. David Schwepker, (MSU assistant coaches) Marlene Metti and DongPing Fang all showed me a lot of floor work and an intensity level that I took from MSU and use here in my practices.
"I remember the experience with my teammates and look back on that," Wood said. "The things I implement here -- helping the girls learn and grow, being a mediator -- I learned a lot of things from Dave, Marlene and Coach Ping."
Wood takes the helm of the Mountain Lions after former head coach Tara Miller resigned July 1 to pursue other opportunities. UCCS is a member of NCAA Division II in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. Wood begins her career on Aug. 27-28 at a five-team tournament at Tarleton State in Stephensville, Texas.
"I'm very excited about having a coach who's a native of El Paso County, has Division I playing experience and is well-connected in the area club volleyball scene," Kirkham said. "We have always relied heavily on Pike Peak-area athletes, and I'm certain Jessica Wood will help make that connection even more solid."
"It hasn't quite sunk in yet," Wood said. "I can't explain how excited I am. I'm a little overwhelmed. It's such a short time, and it's a new thing for me, but I'm ready to work hard at it. It's a little scary, but I'm ready to go."
At Murray State, Wood averaged 2.75 kills per game over her four-year career, with a single-season best of 2.93 kpg in her freshman season of 1998. She served up 0.32 aces per game, with a single-season best of 0.38 aces per game in her senior season of 2001. She averaged 2.98 digs per game over her four years, with a single-season best of 3.12 dpg in 2000, followed by 3.10 digs per game in 2001.
She finished her playing career with 1,044 kills in 2,939 attacks, 121 service aces and 1,132 digs. She still holds the school record for single-match attack percentage (with more than 10 attacks) at .818. She amassed 37 double-doubles at Murray State.
In 1998, she was named to the OVC All-Newcomer Team, and was named to the All-OVC Second Team and All-OVC Tournament Team in 1999. In 2000, she was named to the All-OVC Second Team. She was a pre-season All-OVC Second-Team pick in 2001.
"Her four years here were awesome," Schwepker said. "Her only disappointment was when she was injured during her senior year with a severely sprained ankle.
"It doesn't surprise me that she was named head coach. She is definitely a quality person who will do a great job. She will be an excellent coach in the college ranks. She will get respect from her players; she's such a mature person, and that's what you need for that position. She's always been a quiet leader, but she has been a leader. People listen to what she has to say, and her kids on her team will do the same thing.
"I'm excited for her," Schwepker said. "If she keeps moving up, we'll probably compete against each other!"
She earned a spot at the USA National Team tryouts in Colorado Springs in 2000 and served as vice president on MSU's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee in 2001. An eight-time Dean's List honoree, she was named to the OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll in all four of her years at Murray State, earning the OVC Scholar-Athlete Award in 2001-02. She was also named an 1999 National Strength and Conditioning All-American Athlete.
Wood, a native of Calhan, Colo., now resides in Colorado Springs.
