Hambly hires assistant
By: Aaron Bennett
Updated: January 17, 2013
Champaign, Ill. (UI Release) -
The University of Illinois
is proud to announce the hiring of Jayme Gergen as its newest Assistant
Volleyball Coach, effective immediately. An All-American middle hitter
at Georgia Tech, Gergen has eight years of Division I coaching
experience, serving as an assistant at Ohio State and
Virginia Tech.
"I'm really excited that Jayme is joining the staff," said Head Coach Kevin
Hambly.
"I've admired her work from afar and gotten to know her a little bit
over time, and the fact that she was interested in coming to Illinois to
be a part of this program was very exciting.
"She was by far my first choice for the spot. She will bring some energy; she will bring some recruiting
background; and she's also great in the gym, a great teacher. I think she's exactly what we need to complete our staff."
Gergen
will serve as the primary recruiting coordinator for the Fighting
Illini, going on the majority of
recruiting visits and working with incoming athletes to make sure they
are fully prepared when they arrive on campus. Additionally, she will
assist inscheduling and help with game plan formulation.
A
graduate of Georgia Tech, Gergen spent the past three years as an
assistant coach at Ohio State. She has
assisted in all aspects of the game, including middle hitter training,
blocking, travel, co-directing camps and clinics, and overseeing
community outreach programs. Under her leadership, the Buckeyes advanced
to the NCAA Tournament all three years, including
back-to-back NCAA Regionals appearances in 2010 and 2011.
Prior
to her tenure at Ohio State, Gergen spent five seasons as an assistant
coach at Virginia Tech. During
her stint in Blacksburg, Gergen worked with the first two Hokie players
ever to be named All-American, in 2006 honorable mention Katie Esbrook
and 2008 honorable mention Felicia Willoughby, both middle blockers like
herself.
A
four-year player for Georgia Tech, Gergen helped guide the Yellow
Jackets to four-straight NCAA Tournament
appearances, three ACC regular-season titles and an ACC Tournament
Championship. As a senior in 2004, the middle hitter earned an
All-America honorable mention, First-Team All-ACC honors, and an AVCA
All-East Region selection. A dean's list student with a degree
in psychology, Gergen was a three-time ACC Honor Roll selection and
earned Academic All-District in 2004.
