|
|
| 2007
Coaching Staff |
Head
Coach Jewel Lehman
Jewel Lehman begins her fourth season as head coach of Goshen
College volleyball in 2007, looking to rebuild the program after
a disappointing two-year stretch. Following a 17-15 overall record
and a sixth-place finish in the
ever-tough
Mid-Central
Conference in her first season at the helm, Lehman looks to a
new and youthful squad to better a combined 11-48 overeall record from 2005 and 2006.
“We will have another young team this fall, but the talent
is promising for the future,” Lehman
said. “As we gain experience, we should be a fun team to
watch. We
look forward to this year.”
The ninth coach in Goshen’s 37-year old volleyball program,
Lehman brings with her a long list of coaching credentials, highlighted
by her four-year stint as head coach of NCAA Division I Campbell
University, a position she held from 1994-1998. Responsible for
all aspects of the volleyball program, Lehman led her Campbell
team to a school-record 32-7 finish in the 1997 season, losing
to Georgia State University in the fifth game of the Trans-American
Athletic Conference tournament finals. In that season, Campbell
recorded season records for most wins (32), most consecutive wins
(16), most home wins (12), most road wins (16), highest home attendance
for a game (916) and the highest winning percentage for a season
(.821). Prior to her stint at Campbell, Lehman was an assistant
coach at NCAA Division I James Madison University for one season.
Prior to arriving at Goshen, Lehman spent four years in a physical
education teaching role at Greensboro College in Greensboro, North
Carolina. She was the school’s physical education-teacher
education program coordinator for the past three years, and initially
joined Goshen College as a professor in the school’s Teacher
Education Department in conjunction with her coaching duties.
Beginning in the fall of 2005, however, Lehman took over as the
academic chair of the physical education department.
Lehman does have connections to the area, as she taught and coached
at nearby Bethany Christian High School from 1988-1992 following
her 1987 graduation from Eastern Mennonite University. A standout
volleyball player at EMU, Lehman came to Bethany to teach physical
education and health, and returned to the classroom to pursue
her master’s degree at James Madison in 1992. Following
her stint at Campbell, Lehman completed her doctorate in exercise
and sport science at the University of North Carolina Greensboro
in 2003.
Originally from Harrisonburg, Virginia, Lehman was an all-conference
selection in each of her four years playing at EMU. She was the
conference player of the year in each of her final three seasons,
while also earning recognition as a regional All-American in 1986.
She still holds the EMU record for most service aces in a season
(92) and had her number 2 retired at the end of her playing career.
|
 |
Assistant
Coach Val Hershberger
Val Hershberger continues her duties as an assistant coach in
2007, resuming the position of head assistant after taking a one-year
hiatus in 2005. A change in structure within the Goshen College
athletic department equaled a greater administrative role for
Hershberger in 2005, forcing her to reluctantly step down as head
assistant coach for that season. Missing her duties, Hershberger
agreed to return to the top assistant position in 2006 and has since continued in that role.
“Val Hershberger has been an extremely dedicated assistant
coach for the past several years,” said Jewel Lehman, Goshen
head coach. “She has invested much time and effort into
the program, and was instrumental in facilitating a smooth transition
between
coaches when I came in. I am ecstatic that Val has returned to
be our top assistant coach. I am certain that she will have a
great impact on our program again this year.”
Hershberger has been a major part of the Maple Leaf program for
almost a decade, as she was the team’s head coach from 1996-2000.
During that time, she led the program to an overall record of
68-99, and coached four NAIA National Scholar-Athletes and one
All-Mid-Central Conference player in the process.
After resigning from her head coaching post at the conclusion
of the 1999 season, Hershberger returned to the program in 2003
focusing on individual player development and back row defense.
In games she was responsible for tracking the Goshen offense and
defense, as well as assessing individual players. With 2004 marking
Lehman’s first season as head coach, Hershberger headed
a large portion of recruiting operations and opponent scouting.
“Val did a tremendous job in heading up our program during
my move from North Carolina to Goshen,” Lehman said. “She
has always brought a wealth of knowledge to the program, and her
head coaching experience at the school provides me with a better
understanding of our competition and the history of the league.
I value the opportunity to continue to work with her, and I feel
confident in her abilities to lead and coach.”
Hershberger has worked as an assistant coach at NCAA Division
I James Madison University and Eastern Mennonite University in
addition to her head coaching tenure at Goshen, and was a head
coach at Eastern Mennonite High School in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Hershberger graduated from Eastern Mennonite University, where
she was a two-year letterwinner following her transfer to the
school from Hesston Junior College in Hesston, Kansas. She also
has completed her master’s degree from James Madison University.
Hershberger is an associate professor of physical education at
Goshen College. She is single and resides in Goshen.
|
 |
|
|
