AUSTIN, Texas – Three-time Olympic Medalist and captain of the 2020 U.S. Olympic Gold Medal winning team, Jordan Larson is joining the Texas Volleyball staff as an assistant coach. Larson was a three-time All-American at Nebraska (2005-08) and member of the 2006 National Championship team. Larson replaces Tonya Johnson, who accepted the head coach position at LSU.
“This is a home run hire,” head coach Jerritt Elliott said. “To have the most accomplished outside hitter in the history of USA Volleyball come be part of our program is so exciting. For our athletes that aspire to be part of the national team to have someone that eats, drinks and sleeps volleyball will be an incredible opportunity. Jordan loves the game, wants to give back and will be a great mentor to all of the ladies that come into our program.”
Larson served as captain for the first Team U.S. indoor women’s volleyball team to bring home a gold medal, at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player and Best Outside Hitter. In addition to her 2020 Gold in Tokyo, Larson won Silver at the 2012 London Summer Olympics and Bronze at the 2016 Rio Games.
“I am incredibly honored and humbled to be joining the Texas Volleyball coaching staff,” Larson said. “This is an amazing opportunity to be a part of the tradition and excellence of this program and to help these ladies achieve their dreams. I’m extremely grateful to grow and learn in this position.”
Capping off an incredible year in 2021, Larson was recognized as the Women’s Sports Foundation’s Sportswoman of the Year for Team Sport. Following her historic run in Tokyo, Larson joined up with the USA Volleyball High Performance Academy to engage and give back to the volleyball community. She was also inducted into the Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame in 2020.
Larson made her U.S. Women’s National Team debut at the 2009 Pan American Cup before becoming a member of three-straight Olympic teams. She was named the USA Volleyball Female Indoor Player of the Year in 2015 and 2016 and became the team captain in 2017.
As a professional, Larson played overseas in Puerto Rico, Russia, Turkey and China and became the first player to win three-straight FIVB Club World Championships from 2014-17. Larson returned to the U.S. to participate in the inaugural Athletes Unlimited Volleyball season in 2021 and won the championship.
As a four-year player at Nebraska from 2005-08, Larson finished her 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 National 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.
A native of Hooper, Nebraska, Larson graduated with a degree in communication studies from the University of Nebraska in 2008. She is married to David Hunt, the head men’s volleyball coach at Pepperdine University.
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