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As a player, Jolene Shepardson experienced individual accolades and championship-level performances. As a head coach, she has a proven track record for turning around programs and building strong foundations.

Shepardson, named head coach of USF volleyball on Jan. 8, 2020, says she will blend all of those experiences to help her alma mater into a new era of prosperity.

“I don’t believe there are any limits to what we can do at USF,’’ Shepardson says. “This program has enjoyed success and I have seen that first-hand. Our goal is to sustain that success, win championships and provide the very best experience for our student-athletes.’’

Shepardson (the former Jolene Patton) enjoyed that experience herself. As a USF volleyball player, Shepardson was part of two conference champions and NCAA Tournament qualifiers (2000 and 2002). Prior to USF, Shepardson was the Sunshine State Conference Freshman of the Year and an all-conference player at the University of Tampa, which she helped to the NCAA Division II national-championship game.

Meanwhile, during her high-school career, Shepardson earned Gatorade Florida Player of the Year and all-state honors at Tampa Prep, where she was part of three state championship teams and one state runner-up. In 1999, Shepardson was selected to the Tampa Tribune’s All-Decade Prep Volleyball Team.

“I think I’ve gone through a lot of what my players are going through,’’ Shepardson says. “I’ve walked in their shoes. Volleyball is a wonderful sport and it has helped open so many opportunities for me. I want the same thing for my players. We want to attract student-athletes who have a passion for the game and a love for their team.’’

The timing of Shepardson’s USF tenure has been filled with challenges. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was more than a year from her hiring for USF’s first competition, the abbreviated spring season of 2021. With 14 underclassmen, the Bulls finished 6-8 (3-5 in the American Athletic Conference) and true freshman Marta Cvitkovic was named to the All-AAC first team after leading the team in kills and ranking third in the AAC in kills per set. Thirteen USF players were named to the AAC All-Academic Team.

With a quick turnaround into the fall of 2022, the Bulls continued to build a foundation while working through an injury-plagued season. After gaining experience on the court through the 2022 and 2023 campaigns and having the stability of a two true offseasons, Shepardson is more optimistic than ever about USF’s future entering the 2023 season.

That optimism is shared by USF’s administration.

“Not only does Jolene have tremendous ability and a track record for building programs and maximizing student-athletes’ potential, but she has a deep and passionate connection to this university, our volleyball program and the Tampa Bay area,’’ USF vice president of athletics Michael Kelly says. “We are very excited for the future of USF volleyball.’’

Shepardson came to USF with nine years of head-coaching experience at the collegiate level, most recently guiding San Jose State for six seasons and prior to that Cal State Bakersfield for three. Both programs saw dramatic improvement under Shepardson’s leadership. SJSU went from 253 in the RPI prior to her arrival to 130 and posted the first back-to-back winning seasons in 17 years, while Bakersfield went from a winless season and 300 RPI to a program record 21 wins and 133 RPI.

In six seasons at SJSU (2014-19), Shepardson went from four wins overall to 17 and from one conference win to 11. The team posted back-to-back winning seasons in 2017 and 2018, the first since 2001 for the program, and garnered three All-Mountain West Conference selections in 2018. In 2018, her team went 11-7 in the Mountain West, its most conference wins since joining the conference in 2013, and finished fourth, the program’s highest finish in any conference since 2006.

In 2017, the Spartans posted a 17-12 overall record, marking the first winning season for the program since 2006. SJSU defeated Mountain West champion Colorado State at Spartan Gym in 2016 and 2017, the 2017 win stopping the Rams’ 15-match winning streak and giving the Spartans their first win over a ranked opponent since 2001. The 2016 victory over CSU was the program’s first since 1998 and ended the Rams’ 31-match Mountain West winning streak.

Her SJSU teams produced an average of six all-academic team members and a 3.2 GPA each year, with 10 Spartans earning 19 Mountain West Scholar Athlete accolades and 18 players earning 35 Academic All-Mountain West honors in four years. Four Spartan players were honored as Arthur Ashe Junior Sports Scholars, including Jamie Hirai who was a three-time first team selection. Shepardson also initiated fundraising campaigns that enhanced financial support for the program.

In three seasons in Bakersfield (2011-13), Shepardson led the program from zero wins to 21 and to second-place regular season and tournament finishes in the Western Athletic Conference while also starting the beach volleyball program. She took over a program that went 0-31 in 2010 and led it to an 8-18 record in her first year, the sixth-best improvement in the NCAA. The 2012 team continued the upward progression, finishing with a 14-17 record in the team's final season as an NCAA Division I Independent. Her 2013 team posted a 21-12 overall record and 12-4 mark in its first season in the WAC, setting a school record for most wins in a season. The team finished second in the 2013 WAC regular-season standings and advanced to the championship match of the WAC Tournament. Three Roadrunners earned first or second team All-WAC honors and four received Academic All-WAC honors.

Shepardson spent the 2010 season as an assistant coach at Virginia Tech, helping lead the Hokies to their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance, in which they advanced to the second round before falling to eventual national champion Penn State. Two Hokies, Felicia Willoughby and Cara Baarendse, earned All-America honors. Shepardson served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at American University (2009), coached with Front Range Volleyball Club in Colorado (2006-08) and was a volunteer assistant coach at Winthrop University (2005) and Regis University (2004-05).

An honor-roll student, Shepardson graduated from USF in 2002 with a degree in psychology. She is also a National Academy of Sports Medicine certified personal trainer.

With USF volleyball, she ranked second on the team with 416 kills, 35 service aces and 377 digs in 2002 as the Bulls advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, sweeping Florida State in the first round before falling to host Florida. Shepardson had a career 729 kills in two seasons, ranking second on the team in both years.

Prior to USF, she played two seasons at the University of Tampa, earning Sunshine State Conference Freshman of the Year, second-team All-SCC and All-South Region honors in 1998. As a sophomore in 1999, she was named first team All-SCC and All-South Region as she helped lead the Spartans to the NCAA Division II National Championship match.

Following her collegiate career, Shepardson played one season professionally (2004) for Jakarta Monas in the PT Pro Liga in Indonesia.

Born in Live Oak, Fla., she and her husband, Aaron, have three daughters Mirabelle, Marielle and Malonne, and two sons, McCoy and Major. Aaron was a member of the USA Men's National Volleyball team in 2000 and 2001. He played professionally in Indonesia and Belgium in 2003.

Coach Shep: Aaron Shepardson has played and coached volleyball for 30+ years.

Vicki Werskey was named an assistant coach for USF Volleyball in February of 2026 as she joined head coach Jolene Shepardson’s seventh Bulls staff. She brings extensive collegiate coaching and playing experience to Tampa.

Werskey arrived at USF after serving two years as director of the Gators EmpowHER mentor program within the University of Florida Athletics Association. Prior to that role, she led the Iowa volleyball program for two seasons (2019–21) after initially joining the Hawkeyes in 2017 as associate head coach.

Werskey (formerly Vicki Brown) was named Iowa’s 10th head volleyball coach in September of 2019 after spending three months as interim head coach. She served as head coach until November of 2021.

In her second season, she led Iowa to a 4-16 record in the shortened spring 2021 season that saw a Big Ten only schedule. With no seniors, Iowa leaned on several juniors, including Courtney Buzzerio whose outstanding play earned her AVCA All-North Region Honorable Mention and first-team All-Big Ten honors, becoming the first Hawkeye to earn those postseason honors since Sara Meyermann in 2001.

Werskey completed her third season at Iowa and first as head coach in 2019. The Hawkeyes tallied a 10-21 record overall as the team battled injuries. In Iowa’s second match of the season, the Hawkeyes swept No. 22 Washington State, 3-0, at the James Madison Invitational as the team went on to win the tournament.

Werskey’s second season in 2018 saw the Hawkeyes finish 15-16 overall for their third straight season with 15 or more wins. Iowa won its second straight Big Ten opener with a victory over Michigan State. Iowa recorded its highest-ranked win on Oct. 6, 2018, defeating No. 6 Wisconsin in five sets.

Senior Molly Kelly led Iowa with a school-record setting 619 digs, while leading the Big Ten in total digs and digs per set (5.12). She was named the CoSIDA Academic All-America Team Member of the Year in volleyball – the program’s first honor. Senior Taylor Louis finished her career as the nation’s active kills leader with 1,964 career kills. She led the NCAA by 84 kills. Louis was named Second-Team All-Big Ten to become Iowa’s first All-Big Ten honoree since 2001.

In 2017, she helped the Hawkeyes finish with an 18-15 overall record and a 7-13 record in the Big Ten.  The 18 wins marked the second most for the program since 1994. Iowa opened the season 12-3, its best start since 1994 (12-3). The Hawkeyes swept Rutgers, 3-0, in their conference opener Sept. 22, 2017, marking the first time Iowa won its conference opener since 2009.

Three Hawkeyes — Annika Olsen, Taylor Louis, and Jess Janota — earned All-Big Ten honors for the first time since 1989. All three earned Big Ten honorable mention.

Werskey came to Iowa after a year as head coach of both indoor volleyball and beach volleyball at the University of San Francisco.

Originally from Toledo, Ohio, Werskey served on the staff at UC Davis from 2014-15, where she worked as the recruiting coordinator and organized team travel.

Prior to her time with the Aggies, she spent two years at Illinois State helping the Redbirds to a combined 37-25 record. Her primary duties included defensive strategy, scouting, and recruiting. Brown also worked with the Redbird middles. In 2013, under her tutelage, Emily Schneider and LeighAnn Hranka ranked among the top three MVC leaders in blocks, and the Illinois State defense led the conference with a .153 opposing attack average.

Werskey served as a volunteer assistant at Toledo, where she worked with the opposites, liberos, and defensive specialists. She also served as the head coach for the Toledo Volleyball Club 14s and 15s squad, becoming the leading expert in implementing training ideas for all other age-group coaches.

Werskey’s prowess as a player allowed her to enjoy a professional career with stops in Austria, Puerto Rico, and Spain. Competing for the University of Illinois, Brown earned All-Big Ten honorable mention twice as a middle blocker, ranking among the league’s top 10 hitters in each of her final two seasons. For her career, she amassed more than 1,000 career kills, broke the century mark in blocks for three straight years, and took home six tournament MVP honors before graduating in 2008 with a degree in communications.

Werskey is married to Eric Werskey, an assistant track and field coach at the University of Florida.

This is Kelly Dreyfuss' third year with USF Volleyball as the Special Assistant to the Head Coach and with Jolene Shepardson Volleyball Camps.

Kelly was hired by Head Coach Jolene Shepardson in the Fall of 2024 as the Special Assistant to the Head Coach and Director of Volleyball Operations.  As a vital link between the coaching staff and the athletic department, Kelly oversaw all non-coaching aspects of the program, including travel logistics, assisting with budget management, and home match operations. 

Kelly started with Shepardson Volleyball Camps in 2024 as a coach in both position and team camps.

Kelly brings her 30+ years of volleyball coaching experience to Shepardson Volleyball Camp campers.  Kelly started her coaching career at 19 years old at her high school alma mater in Honolulu, Hawaii and continued her coaching career at various public and private high schools in the Tidewater, VA area.  In 2007, Kelly started coaching club volleyball at the Williamsburg Volleyball Club in Williamsburg, VA and continued on the following year by founding her own USA Volleyball Junior Olympics Volleyball Club, Peninsula Juniors, in 2008. 

In 2010, Kelly founded the Aloha Volleyball Academy in Yorktown, VA where she lead youth volleyball clinics and high school summer volleyball leagues until 2018. 

Kelly trained extensively in the USA Volleyball Coaching Accreditation Program, reaching CAP III status.  Kelly also participated and attended many USA Volleyball High Performance Coaching Clinics at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs and USA Volleyball High Performance Tryouts in the Mid-Atlantic region.  Kelly also worked as a camp coach at various USA Volleyball High Performance Camps.  

Kelly also spent three years on the Old Dominion Region Volleyball Board of Directors as the Adult Volleyball Coordinator. 

In 2019, Kelly stepped away from coaching and dove into high school, club and collegiate volleyball refereeing, until her move to Tampa in June of 2024.

Kelly grew up in Honolulu, HI playing both indoor and beach volleyball.  She currently lives in Wesley Chapel, FL with her husband Chris and outside of volleyball she loves attending local sporting events, theme parks and visiting Florida State Parks.