Completed Event: Volleyball versus Tulsa on September 5, 2025 , Loss , 1, to, 3
Final
Volleyball
1
vs Tulsa
3
University of Oklahoma Athletics
Volleyball
Jones, Ciara
Ciara Jones
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
Ciara Jones enters her second season as an assistant coach after being named to the staff in August 2021.
With Jones’ assistance in 2022, three sooners – Megan Wilson, Morgan Perkins and Alexis Shelton – were named All-Big 12 honorees. Wilson was also named to the AVCA Southwest All-Region Team, becoming the third Sooner to earn AVCA Freshman of the Year honors and AVCA All-Region Team accolades. In the classroom, five Sooners earned Academic All-Big 12 first-team honors for the third-straight season. Grace Talpash also was named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC, formerly CoSIDA) Academic All-District Team, becoming the program’s first Sooner to reach that achievement since Sallie McLaurin in 2013. Alongside Gray-Walton, Jones was an integral part in signing its third consecutive top-20 recruiting class for 2023.
Jones was an integral part in helping Gray-Walton sign a top-10 recruiting class for 2022. In 2021, Wilson, Paige Anderson, Payton Dunn and Callie Kemohah were named All-Big 12 honorees. Wilson was also named AVCA Southwest Region Freshman of the Year, becoming the third freshman in program history to earn this honor. Nine Sooners earned Academic All-Big 12 first-team honors for the second-straight season.
She came to Oklahoma after spending the last four seasons with the Howard University volleyball program. Jones earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Thirty Under 30 award in 2019 where she was one of 11 NCAA Division I women coaches selected. Also in 2019, Jones made VolleyMag.com 40 coaching hotshots, consisting of coaches under the age of 40 from NCAA Division I women's volleyball programs, NCAA Division I and II men's volleyball programs and all NCAA beach volleyball programs.
In a shortened 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Jones guided Jessica Bolden and Amari Patterson to All-MEAC Rookie honors. During the 2019 campaign, Howard went 20-13 (14-1 MEAC) en route to its fifth consecutive MEAC Championship and fifth straight NCAA appearance. Three Bison earned league postseason honors: Tamar Wells (MEAC Freshman of the Year; All-MEAC); Jurnee Tipton (All-MEAC); and Kira Porter (All-MEAC). In her first year (2018), Jones was instrumental in recruiting new talent and developing current players. With an established and reputable program, Howard volleyball won its fourth consecutive Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) title. Additionally, Howard placed four players on the All-MEAC team and six on the All-MEAC Academic Team. Setter Tamia Dockery was selected MEAC Player of the Year and also named AVCA and VolleyballMag.com Honorable Mention.
Before coming to Howard, Jones served as Director of Operations for the Clemson Tigers where some of the responsibilities and duties at Clemson included Assistant Camp Director camp preparation, coordinating schedules, assist with coaching duties of over 300 campers, performed day to day administrative operations of the program which included handling team travel logistics and itineraries, transportation, hotels, meals, and away practice times; assisting with on campus recruiting visits logistical details; and assist with managing team budget.
Before Clemson, she spent a year as the head coach and recruiting coordinator for Top Select Volleyball Club in Orlando, Fla. Recently, she was named Head Coach of the Year for Top Select. Jones also served as the head volleyball coach at Edgewater High School in Orlando for three seasons, beginning in 2014. Her high school team won district championships all three seasons, and Jones was voted Metro Coach of the Year in 2016.
From 2014-16, Jones worked for the Orlando Health Foundation as an event coordinator, gaining valuable experience in event management and coordination as well as donor relations. She also spent two years, from 2012-14, as a Blue & Gold Fund Assistant for the Marquette Athletic Department, where she gained additional experience planning events and working with donors.
Jones, who played for Marquette from 2008-12 under the leadership of Head Coach Bond Shymansky (Iowa) and Clemson's head coach Michaela Franklin's time as an assistant coach with the Golden Eagles. She was a four-year letterwinner where she led the Golden Eagles to the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2011, a season in which she was named a Big East First Team All-American. Jones earned Marquette Athletics' Outstanding Female Leadership & Service Award in 2012 and served on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee in 2011-12.
In the summer of 2018, Jones was inducted into the Marquette University M Club Hall of Fame.
In May 2012, Jones earned a bachelor's degree in Broadcast & Electronic Communications from Marquette and earned a master's in Leadership Studies with a specialization in Sports Leadership, also from Marquette, in December 2014.
With Jones’ assistance in 2022, three sooners – Megan Wilson, Morgan Perkins and Alexis Shelton – were named All-Big 12 honorees. Wilson was also named to the AVCA Southwest All-Region Team, becoming the third Sooner to earn AVCA Freshman of the Year honors and AVCA All-Region Team accolades. In the classroom, five Sooners earned Academic All-Big 12 first-team honors for the third-straight season. Grace Talpash also was named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC, formerly CoSIDA) Academic All-District Team, becoming the program’s first Sooner to reach that achievement since Sallie McLaurin in 2013. Alongside Gray-Walton, Jones was an integral part in signing its third consecutive top-20 recruiting class for 2023.
Jones was an integral part in helping Gray-Walton sign a top-10 recruiting class for 2022. In 2021, Wilson, Paige Anderson, Payton Dunn and Callie Kemohah were named All-Big 12 honorees. Wilson was also named AVCA Southwest Region Freshman of the Year, becoming the third freshman in program history to earn this honor. Nine Sooners earned Academic All-Big 12 first-team honors for the second-straight season.
She came to Oklahoma after spending the last four seasons with the Howard University volleyball program. Jones earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Thirty Under 30 award in 2019 where she was one of 11 NCAA Division I women coaches selected. Also in 2019, Jones made VolleyMag.com 40 coaching hotshots, consisting of coaches under the age of 40 from NCAA Division I women's volleyball programs, NCAA Division I and II men's volleyball programs and all NCAA beach volleyball programs.
In a shortened 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Jones guided Jessica Bolden and Amari Patterson to All-MEAC Rookie honors. During the 2019 campaign, Howard went 20-13 (14-1 MEAC) en route to its fifth consecutive MEAC Championship and fifth straight NCAA appearance. Three Bison earned league postseason honors: Tamar Wells (MEAC Freshman of the Year; All-MEAC); Jurnee Tipton (All-MEAC); and Kira Porter (All-MEAC). In her first year (2018), Jones was instrumental in recruiting new talent and developing current players. With an established and reputable program, Howard volleyball won its fourth consecutive Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) title. Additionally, Howard placed four players on the All-MEAC team and six on the All-MEAC Academic Team. Setter Tamia Dockery was selected MEAC Player of the Year and also named AVCA and VolleyballMag.com Honorable Mention.
Before coming to Howard, Jones served as Director of Operations for the Clemson Tigers where some of the responsibilities and duties at Clemson included Assistant Camp Director camp preparation, coordinating schedules, assist with coaching duties of over 300 campers, performed day to day administrative operations of the program which included handling team travel logistics and itineraries, transportation, hotels, meals, and away practice times; assisting with on campus recruiting visits logistical details; and assist with managing team budget.
Before Clemson, she spent a year as the head coach and recruiting coordinator for Top Select Volleyball Club in Orlando, Fla. Recently, she was named Head Coach of the Year for Top Select. Jones also served as the head volleyball coach at Edgewater High School in Orlando for three seasons, beginning in 2014. Her high school team won district championships all three seasons, and Jones was voted Metro Coach of the Year in 2016.
From 2014-16, Jones worked for the Orlando Health Foundation as an event coordinator, gaining valuable experience in event management and coordination as well as donor relations. She also spent two years, from 2012-14, as a Blue & Gold Fund Assistant for the Marquette Athletic Department, where she gained additional experience planning events and working with donors.
Jones, who played for Marquette from 2008-12 under the leadership of Head Coach Bond Shymansky (Iowa) and Clemson's head coach Michaela Franklin's time as an assistant coach with the Golden Eagles. She was a four-year letterwinner where she led the Golden Eagles to the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2011, a season in which she was named a Big East First Team All-American. Jones earned Marquette Athletics' Outstanding Female Leadership & Service Award in 2012 and served on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee in 2011-12.
In the summer of 2018, Jones was inducted into the Marquette University M Club Hall of Fame.
In May 2012, Jones earned a bachelor's degree in Broadcast & Electronic Communications from Marquette and earned a master's in Leadership Studies with a specialization in Sports Leadership, also from Marquette, in December 2014.
VB Highlights: OU 3, Saint Mary's 0
Saturday, September 13
VB Highlights: OU 3, Saint Mary's 1
Friday, September 12
VB Highlights: OU 3, Florida State 2
Wednesday, September 10
VB Highlights: OU 3, Abilene Christian 0
Saturday, August 30
