Jolene Shepardson wasted no time in turning the CSU Bakersfield volleyball program around as, in her first year as head coach, she made the Roadrunners the sixth most improved team in all of NCAA Division I volleyball in 2011.
After CSUB went 0-31 in a winless 2010 season, Shepardson took over the reins to the program and guided the ‘Runners to an 8-18 2011 season. According to the NCAA, CSUB’s jump of going from 0-31 in 2010 to 8-18 in 2011 has an improved number of 10.5. The improved figure is determined by adding the difference in victories between the two seasons to the difference in losses, which is then divided by two.
Shepardson also coached CSUB sophomore outside hitter Haleigh Haratyk to one of the best individual seasons in Roadrunner history. Haratyk finished the season ranked No. 7 in kills per set in NCAA Division I with 4.82. She also finished No. 8 in points per set with 5.28. The 4.82 kill average is fifth best in a single season in CSUB’s history, behind Amy Wade’s 5.77 (2000) and 5.33 (1997) and Christy Wieneke’s 5.31 (1994) and 4.88 (1995). Haratyk finished the season with 443 kills, which is 11th most in a season in the ‘Runner record book.
2012 featured a revamped roster with 11 new players,the Roadrunners gelled together to record 14 wins (14-17), which is six more than in 2011, in its final season as a Division I NCAA independent team.
Hosting its first home tournament in the Shepardson Era, CSUB hosted and won the Roadrunner Classic with an undefeated performance that including two wins over UMES and another against future WAC opponent Utah Valley. Araujo was named the unanimous MVP of the Roadrunner Classic, while Fernanda Gonçalves and Molly O’Hagan were selected to the all-tournament team. The tournament helped fuel a five-match winning streak for the ‘Runners and the victory of Utah Valley was one of the biggest of the season, along with the win over Cal Poly and splitting a home-and-home series with New Mexico, one of the top teams in the Mountain West Conference.
Shepardson came to the Roadrunner program from Virginia Tech where she spent the 2010 season as an assistant coach. The Hokies earned their first NCAA Tournament berth this past season and made it to the second round before falling two Penn State. Virginia Tech’s volleyball program earned its first two All-Americans certificates (Felicia Willoughby and sophomore Cara Baarendse) in 2010.
Shepardson joined the Tech program from American University, where she worked as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the Eagles volleyball program in 2009. Prior to her stint at American, Shepardson coached with Front Range Volleyball Club in Colorado from 2006-08.
Along with her time at American, Shepardson also brings collegiate coaching experience from Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C., and Regis University in Denver, Colo.
She graduated with a degree in psychology from the University of South Florida in 2002 where she helped the Bulls to a Conference USA championship and a trip to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in her senior season. She played professionally for Jakarta Monas in Indonesia where she helped her team to an appearance in the league championship match as a starting outside hitter.
She is a National Academy of Sports Medicine certified Personal Trainer.
Jolene’s husband Aaron serves as the Associate Head Coach at CSUB. The couple had their first child, daughter Mirabelle, on Dec. 2, 2011.
