Jena Otec Joins Cardinal Staff

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Former Purdue All-American Jena Otec has been hired as an assistant coach for the University of Louisville volleyball program, head coach Dan Meske announced.

Otec, who spent three seasons on the staff at Western Kentucky, joins the Cardinals after a stint playing for the Grand Rapids Rise in the MLV (Major League Volleyball).

"We're excited to add Jena to our staff," said Meske. "She's an outstanding coach with a great defensive mind and will make an immediate impact throughout our program. Her collegiate and professional playing experience allows her to uniquely mentor our athletes as they navigate and chase their dreams!"

In 2025, Otec helped lead WKU to its 18th NCAA appearance after winning its third straight Conference USA tournament title. The Hilltoppers finished their season with a 27-6 overall record, a 15-1 record in Conference USA play, and their 10th CUSA regular season championship and 11th CUSA tournament championship. Abby Schaefer and Tayler Baron combined for 648 digs under her tutelage.

In 2024, her Hilltoppers finished their regular season on a 24-match winning streak, securing the Conference USA Tournament crown and the 19th CUSA championship (11 regular season, nine tournament). The Hilltoppers were led by CUSA Player of the Year Alyssa Cavanaugh, who was named the Tournament MVP. WKU went on to an NCAA appearance, where they fell to Minnesota 3-1 in Lexington, ending the season at 28-7 and 18-0 in the league.

In her first season as a collegiate assistant during the 2023 campaign, Otec played a key role in guiding WKU to a 30–5 overall record and a perfect 16–0 conference mark, helping to lead the Hilltoppers to the regular-season championship, conference tournament title, and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Under her guidance, defensive specialists Abby Schaefer and Kelsey Brangers combined for more than 500 digs, highlighting her impact on back-row performance and defensive consistency.

Otec also brings professional playing experience, having competed in 2025 with the Grand Rapids Rise, where she appeared in 15 matches (36 sets). She totaled 44 digs, 11 assists, and one service ace, recording a season-high 12 digs in the Rise's season opener against Vegas on Jan. 10. That match also marked her professional debut.

Prior to her stint at WKU, Otec served as an assistant coach at Eastern Michigan in 2022. Working primarily with liberos and defensive specialists, she helped develop one All-MAC First Team selection, while also contributing to the academic success of the program, including four College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honorees and eight Academic All-MAC Team members.

Otec spent five years coaching with The Academy Boiler Juniors in Lafayette, Ind., where she helped lead multiple teams to championships while mentoring several standout junior players. There, Otec served as the assistant coach for numerous teams, including The Academy Boiler Juniors 15 Gold (2020-21), 16 Gold (2021-22), and 12 Regional (2017-18).

In addition to her team coaching experience, Otec founded Jena Otec Volleyball Camps in 2021 and serves as the program's director of operations and lead instructor, focusing on defensive fundamentals, passing technique, and long-term player development for middle school and high school athletes.

A standout collegiate player, Otec was a nationally recognized defensive specialist at Purdue. A five-time letterwinner with the Boilermakers, Otec was twice named an AVCA Honorable Mention All-American (2020, 2021), was a two-time All-Big Ten honoree (2020, 2021), earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2020, and earned multiple Academic All-Big Ten honors (2020, 2021). Additionally, she collected All-American honors from VolleyballMag.com following both the 2020 and 2021 campaigns.

Otec started every set during her senior campaign and was the first Purdue libero in history to earn All-America honors from the AVCA as she finished at No. 23 in the nation in digs (383) during the spring campaign. She closed that season with 4.56 digs per set, the third-best mark in program history.

A two-time Purdue graduate, Otec, who is a native of St. Louis, holds a bachelor's degree in selling and sales management and a master's degree in technology, leadership, and innovation.

University of Louisville Athletics

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