Jen Salmans will lead the first volleyball team at Oklahoma City University since 1984.
Salmans comes to OCU after being an assistant at Angelo State (Texas) for two years. In Salmans’ first year there, Angelo State made the Lone Star Conference Tournament and posted its best record in 14 years at 23-9.
Salmans had responsibilities in every area of the Angelo State program coaching for Kathleen Brasfield and former Olympian Ruth Lawanson. Salmans specialized in hitting and coached all-conference hitters Lindsay Huling, Amber Smith and Nicole Stoffel. Angelo State led the conference in hitting percentage in 2004.
Before arriving at Angelo State, Salmans spent three years as a full-time assistant and one as a student assistant at her alma mater, Colorado State-Pueblo. She helped Tom Shoji in planning and supervision of practices, weight training, game management, recruiting and statistics management.
Salmans was also assistant to the athletic director at Colorado State-Pueblo, handling game management for all home indoor athletic events. She coordinated travel for eight athletic teams and managed marketing and promotion of the basketball programs. She also aided in fund-raising and community relations projects for the athletic department.
While she was at CSU-Pueblo, Salmans coached the Pikes Peak South 18 club volleyball team in Pueblo, Colo., in 2000-01.
As an athlete, Salmans was all-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference in 1999 and 2000 for Colorado State-Pueblo, then known as Southern Colorado.
She was named outstanding senior female athlete at the school in 1999-2000 as well as academic all-conference and all-region in 1999. Before Colorado State-Pueblo, Salmans was NJCAA all-American and academic all-American at Garden City Community College (Kan.).
Salmans earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise science/health promotion and wellness from Colorado State-Pueblo. She also holds a master’s degree in health and human performance from Fort Hays State (Kan.). She was a kinesiology lecturer at Angelo State. At OCU, Salmans will lead the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, which gives student-athletes a voice with OCU administration.
From Dodge City, Kan., Salmans was an all-state volleyball player while also playing basketball and fastpitch softball.
