Union City alumnus Jenessa Hicks tapped as next head coach of Olivet College volleyball

OLIVET – Volleyball isn’t just something Jenessa Hicks does, it’s a big part of who she is. Not a year has gone by for the past two decades without Hicks spending countless hours on the volleyball court. The former Union City player's persistence paid off when she recently was named head coach of the Olivet College Comets women’s volleyball program.

“I am very excited to have this opportunity,” said Hicks, 33, who concurrently serves as Olivet College’s assistant director of enrollment strategies, “Although I haven’t coached college volleyball before, they knew I had volleyball knowledge and had spent a lot of time in the sport.”

Hicks credits her success to playing a lot of volleyball and good mentoring. A 2007 Union City graduate, she played varsity as a sophomore and was the setter on her high school’s two winningest volleyball teams: the 2006 Chargers that made it to the state finals (ultimately losing to North Muskegon) and the 2007 squad that made it to the quarter-finals.

“Coach (Mike) Leson’s leadership and motivation made us confident in ourselves,” she said of herself and the other talented and scrappy members of those two teams. “He would tell us not to quit no matter what and that we could do it, and when we ended up doing it (winning) he would say, ‘See, I told you I would never lie to you’, which was very inspiring.”

At times, Hicks still hears Leson’s unwavering voice in her head, which helps her encourage her own players. “He was such a huge coaching role model, always reinforcing to his players that we had the skill and talent to succeed because of how we practiced.” Hicks noted that before coaching volleyball, Leson had developed highly successful wrestling and baseball programs for Union City.

Following high school, Hicks played volleyball for Olivet College, where she majored in special education and minored in English and physical education. She became the Comets’ starting setter and a decade later, still holds the program’s assist record with nearly 3,000 assists over her four years of play.

Hicks also ranks in the school’s Top 10 for career digs, a stat she is especially proud of. “There’s a lot to be said for defense and never letting a ball hit the floor. Not a lot of teams are good at defense, but defense is how you win games. Good defense frustrates good teams,” she said, adding that under her guidance the volleyball teams at Olivet will be focusing on defense, the basics, and perfecting them.

After graduating from Olivet College, Hicks returned to work there. For the past four years, she has been associate director of admissions, which had her working with all of the college’s coaches. Hicks believes that what she has learned through those relationships and the knowledge and experience she gained in that role will help her with recruiting for her own team.

Over the past decade, Hicks has also coached JV volleyball for both Marshall and Olivet high schools. On the side, she has continued to play volleyball herself, often with AVA players. She has played in tournaments all over, but mainly in Michigan, and enjoys co-ed play opportunities because it ups her game.

“Playing with males who have played at higher levels has really taught me a different side of volleyball,” she said. “It has given me different perspectives that I plan to share with my team here at Olivet.”

She’s a firm believer in fundamentals and thinks that what players do in the off-season in terms of training and playing ultimately shows up on the court and can be a real difference maker in the little things with their college play.

Volleyball practice for Olivet College players started on August 15, with the first games scheduled over Labor Day Weekend in Pennsylvania, where the Comets will face three other teams. Between varsity and JV teams, Olivet’s volleyball program has 22 players on its fall 2022 roster. They practice together, but come match time, Hicks will coach varsity and one of her two assistant coaches will coach JV.

“Something that’s kind of fun will be that one of my assistant coaches, Mike Loveless, was an assistant coach for my team when I played for Olivet,” Hicks said, “and now he’s coaching under me.” At and away from work, she finds herself surrounded by all things Olivet athletics. Her fiancé, Jim Neal, who hails from Marysville, is a former Olivet wrestler and a current assistant Olivet wrestling coach.

While such connections serve to further solidify Hicks’ grounding in Olivet College athletics, perhaps the most consistent thread of support that’s woven into her long volleyball tradition is her parents, Jackie Hicks and Dan Hicks, who were very excited she was named head volleyball coach.

“My mom and dad didn’t miss any of my games my whole volleyball career,” she said. “When I was playing in college, they were frequently the only ones in the stands from Olivet – and they both had full-time jobs!” She appreciates their commitment and positivity, and hopes they will be able to make at least the home games that she coaches for Olivet this season.

Hicks is optimistic her team will have a good showing this fall, but acknowledges Olivet College volleyball has never been the college’s top sport or enjoyed a crazy season of winning. Olivet is part of the MIAA league, which includes perennial powers Hope and Calvin, along with Albion, Adrian, St. Mary’s, Alma, Kalamazoo and Trine. Hicks is hoping to help her team find a good balance between competitiveness and enjoyment of volleyball.

“I feel I always want my girls to have fun and enjoy the game like I have, but at the same time, I recognize there are times when I have to put my foot down,” Hicks said, affirming there are important life skills to be learned through sports. She always tells her players, “Be confident, not cocky.”

“Discipline on the court relates to everyday life.” Hicks concluded. “You have to stay true to what you are doing. Having respect for teammates, coaches and officials is like having respect for co-workers and bosses in the workplace. It’s a practice that will help you carry on in the real world.”

This article originally appeared on The Daily Reporter: Union City alumni Jenessa Hicks tapped as next head coach of Olivet College volleyball