Volleyball Welcomes Jones to Staff

AMES, Iowa – Head coach Christy Johnson-Lynch has announced the addition of Ciara Jones to the volleyball staff. Jones will serve as an assistant coach and comes to Iowa State with a wealth of experience.

"We are thrilled to add Ciara to our coaching staff," Johnson-Lynch said. "She is one of the best up and coming coaches in the country, and will add a lot to our program on and off the court. During the interview process I was so impressed with her breadth of experience and knowledge of what it takes to recruit and develop student-athletes. Ciara is excellent at connecting with people – prospects, families, peers – she makes everyone around her feel at ease. She will be a wonderful recruiter for us and will have an immediate impact on identifying and bringing in future Cyclones. She has a curiosity and drive that I am excited to work with, and I can't wait to have her in the gym working with our student-athletes."

Jones spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Oklahoma. At Oklahoma, Jones was integral in leading the Sooners to a 10-2 non-conference record in 2022, the best mark since 2013. In the same season, OU ranked third in hitting percentage and aces among the conference while three earned All-Big 12 honors.

"Ciara has all of the tools to be a great connector and coach in today's game at the pace at which college athletics moves today," said Lindsey Grey-Walton, former Oklahoma head coach and current Texas A&M associate head coach. "She is committed to evolving as a learner and connecting to today's athlete which sets her apart from most in her position."

Prior to Oklahoma, Jones spent four seasons at Howard University. Here she earned the AVCA Thirty under 30 award in 2019 and picked up a spot on the VolleyMag.com 40 Coaching Hotshots list. In the 2019 season, Howard made its fifth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance and earned the fifth-consecutive MEAC Championship. Jones also played a contributing role in both recruiting and developing student-athletes.

Jones previously served as the director of operations at Clemson University, handling travel and team logistics, recruiting visit details and managing the team budget. Jones also served as a camp director managing the preparation, schedule coordination and assisting with coaching duties of over 300 campers.

"Ciara has the gift of connection," said Jackie Simpson-Kirr, Clemson head coach. "As a recruiter, she builds genuine relationships with everyone she meets. As a coach, her passion and energy are contagious. I'm so excited to see how she helps build upon the great work being done at Iowa State!"

Before her experience at Clemson, Jones served as the Top Select Volleyball Club head coach in Orlando, Fla. for a year and was named Top Select Head Volleyball Coach of the Year. Beginning in 2014, Jones spent three seasons as the head coach at Edgewater High School in Orlando, earning district championships every season. Jones was voted Metro Coach of the Year in 2016. Also from 2014-16, Jones was the event coordinator for the Orlando Health Foundation, assisting with event management and donor relations. From 2012-14, Jones worked for Marquette as the Blue and Gold Fund Assistant.

"Ciara is one of the best young, up and coming female coaches in the country," said Tonya Johnson, LSU head coach and mentor to Jones. "I'm excited for this new adventure for her and the opportunity to learn from such a great coach as Christy Johnson-Lynch."

Jones played for Marquette from 2008-12 where she led the program to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2011. In the same season, Jones was named a Big East First Team All-American. Jones was inducted into the Marquette University Hall of Fame in 2018.

Jones earned her bachelor's degree in broadcast and electronic communications and a master's in leadership studies with a specialization in sports leadership from Marquette.

Iowa State University Athletics

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