WASHINGTON (April 11, 2019) - Howard University volleyball assistant coach Ciara Jones was awarded the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Thirty Under 30 award on Wednesday.

"Receiving this award means a lot to me. I'm humbled and honored to recognized because this is my passion," expressed Jones.

The award, created in 2009, honors rising coaching talent at all levels of the sport.  To qualify for the award, nominees had to be younger than 30 years old in 2018. Jones was one of 11 NCAA Division I women coaches selected to this year's cohort. She is going into her second year coaching the Howard Bison.

In her first year under head coach Shaun Kupferberg, Jones has been instrumental in recruiting new talent and developing current players. With an established and reputable program, Howard volleyball won its fourth Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) title this year. Additionally, Howard placed four players on the All-MEAC team and six on the All-MEAC academic team. Senior setter Tamia Dockery was Player of the Year and also named AVCA Honorable Mention.

Jones is a graduate of Marquette University where, in 2011, she led the team to its first NCAA tournament appearance. During her time at Marquette she was co-captain of the volleyball team, an AVCA All-American and a Big East First Team All-American.  "I realized it was very hard for me to step away from the sport of volleyball after I was done playing," said Jones. "I always found a way to be coaching in some capacity whether it was private lessons, club or high school. I decided to turn my passion into a career and have not looked back since."  In 2018 she was inducted into the "M Club", Marquette Athletic Department Hall of Fame.

About Howard University Athletics
The Howard University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics sponsors 19 NCAA Division I men and women varsity sports. The programs represent six conferences: the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association (CCSA), Sun Belt Conference, Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) and Atlantic Sun (ASUN) Conference. Visit www.hubison.com to learn more.