MORGANTOWN – First-year West Virginia University volleyball head coach Jen Greeny is no stranger to turning a program around and rebuilding a successful product.
She did it at Lewis-Clark State College in NAIA Division-I, amassing an impressive 112-24 record and four conference titles in four seasons.
Then, she took over at her alma mater, Washington State, in 2011, inheriting a team that finished winless (0-18) in conference play the year prior.
In 2018, Greeny led the Cougars to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament after finishing fourth in the conference standings during the regular season.
The Cougars matched the volleyball program record for most conference wins (14) in a single season in 2022 and 2023. They finished third in the final Pac-12 standings both seasons, marking the best conference finish during Greeny’s 13-year tenure and the best since the 2002 WSU team that reached the NCAA regional championship.
That led her to Morgantown and WVU, a program yearning for the type of program-builder Greeny is. Despite their win-loss record this season (8-20, 2-15 Big 12), and the 3-0 defeat to No. 22 TCU on Wednesday night, the Mountaineers have already shown signs of positive change and growth amongst the team.
“We held close with them in two of the three sets, and this time of year, that’s what you want to see out of a group that is trying to set a foundation for growth,” Greeny said. “It’s easy for someone to say we aren’t playing for much, but we always feel we are playing for something. We have shown so much improvement this season and need to clean up a few things to help us get over the hump.”
WVU has enjoyed the impact of its underclassmen players this season, as freshman Nina Svetina and sophomore Maddy McGath had strong campaigns in 2024.
Svetina has come on in the latter stages of the regular season, earning 34 kills in 41 sets played.
McGath has emerged as a standout offensively for WVU, earning 245 kills while hitting at a .269 percent clip.
“Younger players coming in and showing that they can compete at this level, especially in the Big 12, is important for us going forward,” Greeny said. “Opportunities sometimes come up for players who may not play much, and it’s on them to make the most of those chances. We’ve had some younger girls step up when we called their names, and they have helped us on the court.”
With Senior Day approaching this weekend as the Mountaineers host Baylor on Black Friday, Greeny was sure to recognize her players who gave their time and effort to the program despite only being under her coaching for one season.
“It goes without saying how much work these girls put in day in and day out,” she said. “Senior Day is always special. The time and equity that these players put in doesn’t go unnoticed. These girls significantly impacted the program and gave everything they had for WVU during their time here.”
WVU will conclude the 2024 regular season on Friday, hosting Baylor at 2:00 p.m.
