Associate Head Coach Jeni Jones 11th Year Florida (1999)
In her 11th season at Missouri State, Jeni Jones is no stranger to the Missouri Valley Conference and to collegiate volleyball at its highest level. Jones joined the Missouri State program prior to the 2002 season after two years at the Bears’ MVC rival Illinois State and was promoted to Associate Head Coach at Missouri State following the 2005 campaign. The Bears have made seven NCAA Tournament appearances in the 11 seasons Jones has been on the coaching staff while finishing among the top two teams in either the regular-season or conference tournament in all but one. During her tenure with the Redbirds, Jones helped Illinois State post a 36-23 record in two seasons including runner-up finishes in the regular season and at the Valley Tournament in her first year. A star player at the University of Florida, Jones helped lead the Gators to three straight Final Four appearances in 1996, 1997 and 1998. During her career, Florida also won four straight Southeastern Conference titles. She was a second team all-Southeastern Conference selection as a senior in 1998 and her mark of 140 block assists as a senior was the fourth best single-season mark in Florida history at the time. After being diagnosed with Guillian Barre Syndrome in the middle of her college volleyball career, an illness which caused temporary paralysis, Jones returned to the floor and won the NCAA’s prestigious Honda Inspiration Award in 1999. Jones was also the recipient of the Springfield Women’s Intersport Network (WIN) Courage Award in 2008, and the MVC Most Courageous Award in 2012. After her playing days were over, Jones began her coaching career by joining Mary Wise’s staff at Florida as a student assistant coach and she served as a club coach in the Gainesville Juniors program before going to Illinois State. A native of Birmingham, Ala., Jones earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise and sport sciences from Florida in December of 1999.
Background Education University of Florida (B.S., 1999, Exercise & Sport Sciences) College Playing Experience University of Florida (1995-98, middle blocker) College Coaching Experience University of Florida (1999, student asst. coach) Illinois State (2000-01, assistant coach) Missouri State (2002-present, associate head coach)
Bears Volleyball
2012 Guide
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