From alum to head coach: Jolene Shepardson leads USF in hosting its first American Conference Volleyball Championship

By Savannah Ruiz, University Communcations and Marketing intern

When USF’s volleyball team hosts the American Conference Volleyball Championship this weekend, it will mark a milestone for the program and for head coach Jolene Shepardson, whose history with the university goes back decades. 

“Our hearts are elated,” she said about the opportunity. “We have accomplished things since I’ve been a coach that we haven’t done since I was a player.”

From joining the USF volleyball team as a student-athlete and helping lead the Bulls to a pair of conference titles and NCAA Tournament appearances, to returning in 2020 as head coach, this weekend is a full-circle moment for Shepardson – one that’s been years in the making.

"Green and gold are in my blood." – USF women's volleyball head coach Jolene Shepardson

As a Tampa native, Shepardson spent her childhood attending USF basketball games at the Yuengling Center (previously known as the SunDome). Sports have always been a constant in her life: Her mother coached volleyball at the University of Tampa, her father coached basketball at Hillsborough Community College and she earned Gatorade Florida Player of the Year honors playing volleyball for Tampa Prep and also played softball for the highly competitive Tampa Mustangs travel team. With both of her parents being USF graduates, attending the university herself felt like a natural progression of her journey.

Shepardson has always been competitive and passionate, and USF’s women’s volleyball program, filled with similarly driven young women, turned out to be the perfect fit. USF Athletics was smaller when she was a student, which allowed her to form close relationships with leaders such as Lee Roy Selmon and Phyllis Labaw, who served as the USF's top academic adviser for student-athletes. Even then, she recognized what made the USF community special. She appreciated it as an athlete, and now, as head coach, she continues to uphold those same values for her players.

“This is unique where you have such a large university, but such a tight-knit community,” she said. Today, her student-athletes remain connected to the public through community service – reading to elementary students, participating in local events and helping run highly successful summer volleyball camps for students in grades four-12.

Shepardson’s mission is to ensure her players model leadership and inspire the next generation of young athletes. This aligns closely with USF’s commitment to growth and connection. “I try to cultivate that even in my gym,” she explained. She values coaching athletes who care about development, both on and off the court. At one point during the interview, she pointed to a sign hanging in her office that sums up her philosophy: “play, grow, laugh.”

Another highlight of her current role is working with USF alum and high school and college friend Rob Higgins, CEO of Athletics. She speaks highly of his leadership skills, support and hard work. “There’s no better leader I would want to follow,” she said.

Shepardson’s athletic roots extend to her home life as well. Her husband, Aaron Shepardson, coached alongside her for 17 years before stepping away to homeschool their children and help run the volleyball camps. The couple has five children — Mirabelle (13), McCoy (11), Marielle (10), Major (7) and Malonne (5). When asked about their “M-name” tradition, she explained that she and her husband were initially told they might not be able to have kids. After six years, they were surprised with a healthy baby girl — their miracle — who inspired the name Mirabel. The rest of the M names followed naturally. All five children play volleyball, along with other sports like tennis and basketball.

Shepardson conveyed how meaningful it felt to have graduated from USF and ultimately find her way back in 2020. During the years between, she volunteered as a coach at various schools and began to realize her influence. “I think inspiring young women. That’s where I fell in love with it,” she said. “I was like, maybe I could be one of the good guys. One of the good coaches that helps. And I have. I love it.”

Hosting the American Conference tournament for the first time is significant for the program, the players and to Shepardson herself, who has dedicated years of her life to USF and her team. 

Tickets are available for USF’s first-round match against Charlotte, which begins at 5 p.m. Friday at the Yuengling Center.

For younger players, planning is underway for the Jolene Shepardson Summer Camp. Registration information will become available in the coming weeks.