Jordan Larson Named Nebraska Volleyball Assistant Coach

Nebraska volleyball and U.S. Women's National Team legend Jordan Larson has been named a full-time assistant coach for the Nebraska volleyball program, head coach John Cook announced Tuesday.

Larson will join Cook and assistant coaches Jaylen Reyes and Kelly Hunter on the Husker staff once her summer playing schedule wraps up in September. The NCAA Division I Council adopted a proposal in January that, among other changes, allows teams that utilize a volunteer coach to add a full-time coach position beginning this season.

"One of the greatest honors of being the Nebraska volleyball coach is when I have the opportunity to coach with a former player," Cook said. "Jordan and I have talked for years about coaching at Nebraska. She will bring a wealth of experience that she can share with our players. There is no place like Nebraska!" 

One of the greatest American volleyball players in history, Larson was the team captain, Best Outside Hitter and Most Valuable Player when the U.S. won its first Olympic women's volleyball gold medal in Tokyo in 2021. After the Olympics, she continued to play club volleyball in China and Italy but planned to retire from international competition. However, last month she announced her return to the national team. 

The U.S. is currently competing in the Volleyball Nations League, which Larson is on the 30-player roster for and is available for selection. Larson plans to play with the national team in qualifiers for the Paris 2024 Olympics from Sept. 16-24 in Poland before joining the Huskers for the rest of the 2023 season. She hopes to represent the U.S. at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games as well. Larson briefly served as a volunteer assistant at the University of Texas and Midland University in Fremont in 2022. 

"I am very excited to be returning to Nebraska," Larson said. "I can't wait to learn and help the next generation of volleyball players. It has felt so good to be home even for a short time, and I can't wait to join the team in the fall. I really appreciate John giving me this opportunity. Go Huskers!" 

A native of Hooper, Neb., Larson was a standout on some of the greatest teams in program history from 2005 to 2008 and was inducted into the Nebraska Athletic Hall of Fame in 2020. She helped Nebraska to a top-five NCAA Tournament finish in each of her four seasons. The Huskers went 127-8 during her career with four Big 12 Conference titles and three trips to the NCAA semifinals, including the 2006 national title and a runner-up finish in 2005.
 
Individually, Larson was an All-American on the court and in the classroom. She was a three-time All-American and a two-time first-team All-American. At the conference level, Larson was a two-time Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and the 2008 Big 12 Player of the Year. She was also an Academic All-American as a senior. Larson finished her Husker career with 1,600 kills, 1,410 digs and a school-record 186 aces. 

In her freshman season she helped lead the Huskers to an NCAA runner-up finish and was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year. She was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and first-team All-American as a sophomore and led Nebraska to the 2006 NCAA Championship. In 2008, she became the first player to be named Big 12 Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season.

Larson is one of only two players in program history to rank among Nebraska's all-time top 10 in both kills and digs. She earned a degree in communications studies from the University of Nebraska in 2008. 
 
Larson then went on to a decorated international career. She was a three-time Olympic medalist, helping Team USA to a gold medal in 2021, a silver medal in 2012 and a bronze medal in 2016. Larson helped Team USA win the gold medal at the 2014 FIVB World Championships, the first-ever major tournament gold medal for the U.S. Women's National Team. Larson was then named USA Volleyball's Indoor Female Player of the Year in both 2015 and 2016. In 2017 she was named team captain and led the U.S. to gold medals in four international competitions after that. 
 
Career Highlights
-Member of U.S. Women's National Team since 2009...became team captain in 2017
-Named Best Outside Hitter and MVP at the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games
-Named Women's Sports Foundation's 2021 Sportswoman of the Year, Team Sport
-Earned USAV Female Indoor Player of the Year honors in 2015 and 2016
-Has played professionally in Puerto Rico, Russia, Turkey, China and Italy
-Led Nebraska to NCAA Division I title in 2006...two-time AVCA First-Team All-American
-Inducted into Nebraska Athletic Hall of Fame in 2020
-Also represented the U.S. on the Girls Youth National Team

International Competitions
-2021 Tokyo Olympic Games - Gold; Best Outside Hitter; MVP
-2021 FIVB Volleyball Nations League Final Round - Gold
-2019 FIVB World Cup - Silver
-2019 FIVB Volleyball Nations League Final Round - Gold
-2018 FIVB World Championship
-2018 FIVB Volleyball Nations League Final Round - Gold
-2017 FIVB World Grand Champions Cup - Bronze; Best Spiker
-2016 Rio Olympic Games - Bronze
-2016 NORCECA Olympic Qualification Tournament - Gold; Best Spiker
-2015 FIVB World Cup - Bronze
-2015 FIVB World Grand Prix - Gold
-2014 FIVB World Championship - Gold
-2013 NORCECA Championship - Gold; Best Server
-2012 London Olympic Games - Silver
-2011 FIVB World Cup - Silver
-2011 FIVB World Grand Prix - Gold
-2010 FIVB World Championship
-2010 FIVB World Grand Prix - Gold
-2009 NORCECA Women's Junior Continental Championship - Gold
-2009 Pan American Cup - Made U.S. Women's National Team debut
-2003 FIVB GirlsU18 World Championship - U.S. Girls Youth National Team

Personal Highlights
-Played club ball at both Premier Volleyball Club and Nebraska Juniors
-Nicknamed "The Governor" for her popularity in Nebraska
-Grew up in Hooper, Neb., population 843
-In 2021, won the inaugural championship with Athletes Unlimited, a U.S.-based women's professional volleyball league