Laura Rodeffer has just finished her fourth season as the head coach of the John Carroll University volleyball program.
Under her tutelage, nine players have been recognized as All-OAC honorees and 11 players have been named to Academic All-OAC teams. And in each of Rodeffer's four season at the helm, the Blue Streaks have reached the OAC Tournament.
As is becoming typical for JCU volleyball, the Blue Streaks enjoyed another successful season in 2015.
John Carroll recorded a 16-14 record, including a 5-4 mark against OAC competition. The Blue Streaks reached the semifinals of the OAC Tournament.
In 2014, Rodeffer was named the OAC Volleyball Coach of the Year after a 23-7 season, the most for the program since 1996. The Blue Streaks rolled all the way to the OAC Championship, where they fell to Mount Union.
In her second season, John Carroll appeared in the OAC Tournament for the first time in two-years. The freshman-laden team finished 19-11, an eight-match improvement from Rodeffer's first season at the helm of the JCU volleyball program.
Rodeffer guided Kit O'Shaughnessy to OAC Volleyball Freshman of the Year honors in 2013. She was the first player in program history to receive this distinction.
In her first year as the Blue Streaks' mentor, Rodeffer posted a mark of 11-18.
She was named as the sixth head coach in the 43-year history of the John Carroll University volleyball program on January 30, 2012.
As a player at Kent State University, Rodeffer earned four varsity letters in volleyball from 2004-07, captaining the Golden Flashes to a 22-10 record during her senior year, the team's best record in a decade. Also that year, Kent won 11 conference games to tie a school record.
A libero, Rodeffer earned second-team All-Mid-American Conference (MAC) honors in 2007. She finished her career as the school record-holder for career digs, career digs per game, digs in a season, digs per game in a season and digs in a match. She also ranks among the all-time leaders in MAC history for career digs.
Shortly after graduating with a degree in health care administration from Kent State University, Rodeffer served as a student assistant coach for the Golden Flashes in 2008 before leaving for Wittenberg.
During her time at Wittenberg as a member of Paco Labrador's coaching staff, she helped the Tigers to three North Coast Athletic Conference regular season titles, three NCAC Tournament championships, three NCAA Division III Tournament appearances and the 2011 NCAA Division III National Championship.
In her three seasons, the Tigers amassed a record of 93-14, including a 45-1 mark in conference play.
Soon after taking the John Carroll position, Rodeffer received her first coaching honor -- the American Volleyball Coaches Association “Thirty Under 30” award. She received the recognition for the outstanding work she did as a Wittenberg University assistant coach, and for the promise she holds as the Blue Streaks' head coach.
The "Thirty Under 30" award was created in 2009 in order to “honor thirty of the up-and-coming volleyball coaches under 30 years old in the sport”, according to the AVCA website. The award is given to not just college level coaches, but coaches at all levels of the game.
In addition to her collegiate coaching, Rodeffer has extensive experience at the club level. In six years, she has been part of five consecutive bids to the USA Volleyball national tournament, three of which resulted in top ten finishes. Among her club coaching stints were two years with the Renaissance Cleveland Volleyball Club.
A native of Apple Valley, Minn., Rodeffer earned five varsity letters in volleyball as a high school outside hitter. She earned second-team all-state honors as a senior.
The former Laura Jensen married Ben Rodeffer in August 2013. The couple resides in nearby Lyndhurst, Ohio.
