Lancaster Bible College Athletics

This is Smith's first season as head coach of the women's volleyball program.

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The Lancaster Bible College Athletic Department is pleased to announce the hiring of Jacki Smith as Head Women's Volleyball Coach. Smith replaces Lauren Bewley who announced she was stepping down back in February.
 
Smith, a 2015 graduate of the University of Northwestern (Minn.), takes over a program that has qualified for the North Eastern Athletic Conference Playoffs in each of the past six seasons, but has advanced to the NEAC Semifinals just once.
 
Smith, a middle hitter, battled injuries throughout her career at Northwestern, but finished with 136 career blocks (0.91 per set). The Eagles made the NCAA Division III Tournament every season Smith was with the team and won at least 23 matches each year. That winning culture is something Smith hopes to bring with her to Lancaster.
 
"One of the biggest things I learned in college from my coach Beth Wilmeth, was building a strong culture," Smith said. "The culture that was built helped bring the program to new heights and we all bought into it and believed it. Obviously there is mental and physical training, and we will address those things, but building a strong culture is the first objective."
 
At Lancaster Bible, Smith will join Zach Filzen (men's basketball) and Tracy Cromer (softball), who also have Northwestern roots and she said the people at Lancaster Bible drew her to the position.
 
"Everyone was extremely welcoming and there was a strong community of genuine people," Smith said. "I'm a relational person and am looking to build the types of relationships that I saw on my visit. Being in a Christian environment is huge and I loved that about LBC."
 
Lancaster Bible Director of Athletics Pete Beers said Smith's ability to be relational is what made her standout among other candidates.
 
"It was exciting to have strong candidates, but it was evident Jacki was the right fit for the transition that is going to happen with our women's volleyball program," Beers said. "I think I'm most excited about her ability to relate to others and I think her mentorship and expectations will go hand-in-hand as we look to get to the next level."
 
Though young, Smith feels she use her age to help student-athletes at Lancaster Bible not only be successful on the court, but off the court and in future endeavors.
 
"One of the greatest lessons I learned was that volleyball doesn't last forever, but so many of the things that you learn apply in life," Smith said. "I learned to work tenaciously and relentlessly as a volleyball player and never wanted a ball to drop. Fast forward to my career in marketing or coaching, and now I'm working tenaciously at the office and building relationships. Being able to bring it every single day in whatever we are doing is something I hope to bring to the program."
 
Smith, who also was a member of the women's basketball team at Northwestern, said she believes her time as a student-athlete at a school similar to Lancaster Bible is just one advantage she will have in starting her coaching career.
 
"I know what it takes to be successful at the NCAA Division III level, both on-and-off the court, and I am near the age of many of the student-athletes and can relate with what they are going through, as I just went through it myself," Smith said.
 
One of the challenges for Smith will be getting used to the Lancaster area, specifically the recruiting aspect, though Smith thinks she will be up to the challenge.
 
"It's going to take lots of hard work and lots of effort, but I am going to connect with the club and high school teams in the area and do what it takes to get the job done," Smith said. "I will also be using some of my connections to the Midwest and those student-athletes who may not want to stay in the Midwest now have a place to go near the East Coast."
 
Beers agreed that Smith will be just fine once she arrives in Lancaster and is excited to see where Smith can take the program.
 
"The staff and I believe Jacki fits the mission of our institution and we are excited for her to get started," Beers said. "We believe we have found a person who can lead us and that our women's volleyball team can be a contender for conference championships in the near future."
 
Smith, who once wrote on her roster page that her dream job would be to coach, will begin that opportunity in the coming months.