TOLEDO, Ohio - Head Coach Jason Oliver announced on Wednesday the hiring of Jordan Armstrong as an assistant coach for the University of Toledo women's volleyball program.

"There is just another level of excitement surrounding a hire like Jordan," Oliver said. "His experience, coaching ability, and playing background are going to propel our team to new heights. Jordan was professional throughout the process and really attentive to the details of our program.  His excitement to become a Rocket was evident from the start.  I really feel that with the talent of our roster and now rounding out our staff with an experienced coach, we are poised to take the program to a championship level."

A Burnt Hills, N.Y. native and a recipient of the American Volleyball Coaches Association's 30 Under 30 Award, Armstrong joins the Rockets after spending the last four seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Jacksonville.  Prior to his time with the Dolphins, Amstrong served as an assistant coach at Akron for four seasons (2016-19). He helped turn around the Zips' program from an 8-20 record in 2016 to a 17-12 record in 2019 and the team's first MAC Tournament appearance in seven years.
 
"Returning to the MAC as a Toledo Rocket is incredibly exciting," Armstrong said. "Throughout the process, Jason, along with the whole staff and the administration, communicated and showed why Toledo is primed to continue on its ascent to the top of the conference. I am grateful to work alongside this staff and student-athletes to further develop their craft and eager to be impacted by their passion to improve, both on and off the court. A big shout out to my family, friends, and colleagues whose support was always present along this journey!"

Armstrong has also served as an assistant coach for the USA Volleyball National Team Development Program, working with both the boys' and girls' programs since 2017.  Additionally, he served as the head coach of the Ohio Valley Region High Performance Girls Select Team, which competed at the USA Volleyball High Performance Championships in Tulsa, Okla. and Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Under his tutelage, Armstrong's teams improved from a 10th-place finish in the National Select Division in 2018 to first place in 2019, capturing the Ohio Valley Region's first gold medal ever.

Armstrong graduated from Purdue Fort Wayne in 2015, where he served as a team captain as a senior. He later earned his master's degree in sport administration and leadership from Akron in 2018. 

JORDAN ARMSTRONG COACHING HISTORY
2015: Volunteer Assistant Coach, University of Kentucky (Women's)
2016: Volunteer Assistant Coach, Purdue Fort Wayne (Men's)
2016-20: Assistant Coach, University of Akron (Women's)
2020-23: Assistant Coach & Recruiting Coordinator, Jacksonville University (Women's)
2024-Pr.: Assistant Coach, University of Toledo (Women's)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• AVCA Assistant Coaches Committee Member
• AVCA Diversity Award Recipient; 2015
• AVCA NY Convention Presenter 2023
• Team Florida All-Stars 2023
• NCAA Tournament Participant 2015
• Part of AVCA Team Top 25 GPA Awards 2018 & 2019 

PLAYER HONORS

• 2023 ASUN All-Freshman Team 2023; Alija Heins
• 2022 ASUN Second Team 2022; Haley Hart
• 2022 ASUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year 2022; Kariana Ayala-Drew
• 2019 All-MAC 2019 - Emily Weigand 
• 2019 All-MAC Honorable Mention 2019 - Alexis Adleta
• 2016 All-MAC Freshman - Elya Karsner