Coach Lainey Jackson is the current women’s volleyball coach. Jackson has served in this position for the past two seasons. Previously, she played volleyball at Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield her first two years in college before transferring to Blue Mountain Christian University, a private Baptist university in Blue Mountain, Mississippi.
Originally, she was from Toledo, Illinois and attending Cumberland High School, which is located in Toledo, where she was on the girls’ volleyball team there. She did not have prior experience coaching women’s volleyball before coming to campus in that capacity.
However, she was an assistant coach for the girls’ volleyball team at Teutopolis High School as well as being the co-director for Club 217 Volleyball for the previous three years before coming to campus to coach the women’s volleyball team.
She explained that Club 217 Volleyball, “was named after the area code and is for junior high and high school girls who are interested in volleyball. It is a travel league from all over the central Illinois region.”
Last year the women’s volleyball team went 15-18. This was after her first year at the helm and adjustments were made. Now after one year under her belt, the team is looking to improve from last year and make a deep tournament run if not a national championship.
Jackson admitted that last year’s team, “went through a lot of growth, missing some key positions when I came in. So, we as a team had to adjust and people had to find new roles on the team. We are looking to bounce back and be a lot stronger this season.”
In regard to improvement from last year, she clarified, “We are now a lot more consistent compared to last season. Our work ethic has improved. Our overall skill and athleticism as a whole have been better than last year. We have been able to win longer rallies this season.”
Regarding her philosophy as a volleyball coach, she stated, “I want my players to look back on their time at Lake Land and say that they learned something here, whether it is a lot or a little. I don’t want them to say they didn’t get better, whether it is on the court or in the classroom.”
She mentioned that she, “incorporates four pillars on the team: consistency, sacrifice, discipline and trust. So, every one of our decisions and actions in the gym, outside the gym, all of our decisions are realigning with my four pillars.”
Come witness the women’s volleyball team here on campus make substantial improvement from last year as they work together on the team to incorporate the coach’s four pillars in order to lead the team to long-term success on the court, classroom and after college.
