By TOMMY REZAC
St. Joseph Post
Missouri Western athletics announced the hiring of Jessica Fey as the new head volleyball coach Friday.
Fey comes to Missouri Western from Western Colorado University - an NCAA DII school from the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference where she spent four seasons as head coach. Previously, she served four seasons as an assistant coach at Washburn
"We are thrilled to have Coach Fey join our Griffon family and lead our volleyball program," interim athletic director Theresa Grosbach said. "She has a true passion for the game and is known for her work ethic, competitive spirit, and commitment to creating a positive student-athlete experience."
Fey took over a Western Colorado program in 2018 that won just two matches the previous season and has just six winning seasons in its 41-year history
Fey helped bring the program back to respectability, increasing the team's winning percentage in each of her four years at the helm. In 2021, she led the Mountaineers to a 13-14 record, the program's third-highest single-season wins total in nearly two decades. WCU is also coming off back-to-back RMAC tournament appearances after a previous five-year absence.
"I am honored to be the next leader of the Missouri Western volleyball program," Fey said in a statement. "I would like to thank Theresa Grosbach, Eric Kramer and the rest of the search committee for their confidence in me to lead this program to success. I'm extremely excited to get started with the team as we pursue excellence on and off the court."
Fey takes over for Marian Carbin, who stepped down in November after nearly two decades serving the Griffon volleyball program as a student-athlete, assistant coach and head coach (2013-2021).
The new Griffon head coach is no stranger to her new team.
The Crete, Nebraska native graduated from Washburn in 2013 with a bachelor's degree in Kinesiology while playing for the Ichabods from 2009-2012. She was a Daktronics First Team All-American in 2012 while earning All-American Honorable Mention recognition from the AVCA in 2011 and 2012. She was a three-time AVCA All-Region First Team selection and was the MIAA and Daktronics Central Region Player of the Year in 2012.
As a player, Fey posted a career .322 attack percentage in four years at Washburn - fourth highest in school history, and is one of 10 Ichabods to record over 1,000 kills and 300 blocks in a career. She became the 16th member of Washburn's 1,000 kill club on Oct. 16, 2012, and closed her career with 1,211 kills and 342 blocks.
Part of two MIAA championship teams, Fey and the Ichabods earned an NCAA Tournament appearance every season while being ranked in the top 10 of the AVCA poll in all but one week during her four-year career.
As an assistant at Washburn from 2014-17, Fey primarily worked with hitters and assisted in recruiting. The Ichabods posted a 98-33 overall record during her four-year stint on the sidelines.
"Coach Fey was an accomplished student-athlete and assistant in our league, and understands what it takes to compete at the highest level in the MIAA," Grosbach said.
"She believes in our three C's – classroom, community, and competition – and will continue our culture of prioritizing and excelling in these three areas. We are excited about what the future holds for our volleyball program under her direction."
Fey will officially take the reins in February.