As the Jacksonville State volleyball team ushers in a new era with its return to the ASUN Conference, head coach Todd Garvey has announced the addition of two new assistant coaches, including Apollo alumna Jordan Coomes.
Garvey retools his staff after the departure of former assistant Jacob Hepp from last year’s championship season. The Red and White has tabbed Radford’s Jordan Coomes as the newest staff member.
JSU welcomes Coomes, fresh off her playing career at Radford. The Highlander setter helped RU reach the NCAA Tournament (2017) and NIVC (2018) during her four-year career. The 2018 team’s first round win over Appalachian State in the NIVC was the first major postseason victory in program history. Coomes played in 91 total matches where she compiled 658 assists, 493 digs and 72 aces. She graduated this past April from RU with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics.
“We had a lot of great candidates reach out to us for the position, but as I went through the interview process Jordan really stood out,” said Garvey. “She is extremely passionate about the sport of volleyball, and making coaching a career. As I talked to those that know here, they all kept saying how great of a person and leader she is and how good of a coach and recruiter she can be. I’m excited to add Jordan to the coaching staff.”
Coomes was a dominant force in her time with Apollo, playing 350 sets, recording 1,059 assists, 921 kills, 649 digs and 275 aces.
The Gamecocks will also welcome back a familiar face to the sidelines this fall with the hiring of former volleyball standout and 2019 Eagle Owl Award winner, Mackenzie Rombach.
Rombach spent the 2020-21 season as a graduate assistant at Ohio Valley Conference member Southern Illinois-Edwardsville. The Cougars finished the spring season 10-4, and along with JSU, were one of just four teams to qualify for the OVC Tournament. Prior to her coaching debut at SIUE, Rombach spent a year overseas playing professionally for Prowin Volleys in Saarbrücken, Germany. Her rookie season was cut short due to the Covid-19 pandemic and she was forced to return home to America.
From 2015-18, she was one of the best outsides throughout the OVC. The Ottawa, Illinois, native, played in every set as a freshman and started all 37 matches during her historic sophomore campaign. That season, Rombach led the nation in blocks for much of the year before finishing sixth overall with a school-record 175 blocks. She would finish second on JSU’s career blocks list with 473 after a knee injury cost her time during her senior season. She returned late in the season and surpassed 1,000 career kills during her final OVC Tournament. As a senior, she was a part of Garvey’s first JSU team in 2018. Together, they helped lead JSU to its first postseason win in nine years at the time, and set the stage for the championships that followed.
“Kenzie is one of my favorite players that I have had the opportunity to coach,” said Garvey. “She was an amazing player, but she is an even better person. Bringing her back to JSU was a no -brainer. She is extremely driven, well-liked by everyone, has a high volleyball IQ and will make a great coach. I am thrilled to have her back home at JSU.”
JSU’s season begins August 27 at home with the Gamecock Classic. The full fall schedule will be released later this week.
