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Lady Tigers' alumni picked to serve as Florida State's assistant volleyball coach
A Mountain Home High School alumni who was named one of the top players in the Southern Idaho Conference during her time with the Lady Tigers volleyball team was selected as Florida State University's assistant volleyball coach.
Jordana Price, who graduated from Mountain Home in 2005, will primarily work with the Seminoles volleyball team on blocking, middle and right side hitting in addition to serving as the recruiting coordinator.
In a statement released by the university's athletic department on Thursday, Price will replace former Noles assistant Ganna "Anna" Khrystenko, who recently accepted the associate head coach position at Rutgers.
Price played for the Lady Tigers for just one season after transferring here from Hillcrest High School. According to Sarah DeVore, who served as the team's assistant coach during that time, she took Mountain Home and the entire division to a whole new level of excellence during her one season here.
"She's unbelievably good and a very talented athlete," DeVore said. "To see a player like that only happens once in a lifetime."
In November 2004, Price made First Team All-Conference during her time with the Lady Tigers. When she left for college, Price regularly returned to Mountain Home in the off season, where she hosted volleyball clinics to make players here even stronger, DeVore said.
Price returns to her university alma mater after a two-year stint at South Alabama where she was an assistant coach who served as the offensive coordinator and primary recruiting coordinator.
"I couldn't be more excited for my return to the Seminoles and am eager to help this great coaching staff to continue building upon the great legacy that is Florida State Volleyball," said Price, who credited a number of people that supported and guided her during her three year's with the Florida State indoor volleyball team
Price helped the Seminoles to their first-ever trip to the Elite Eight in 2009 after winning the ACC Championship. She led the league in blocks (1.31 per set) and ranked fourth in hitting percentage (.335) which was also second on the team. She was also presented with the AVCA All-America honorable mention accolades.
"It is always a transition when we lose an assistant," Poole said. "Anna was given a great opportunity and we're very happy for her. We were looking for someone that could cover our middle blocker training and take over as a recruiting coordinator and Jordana is a perfect match."
The Mountain Home native also ranks eighth in school history with 306 total blocks in addition to holding the sixth-highest hitting percentage (.312).
"Jordana was well respected by her teammates as someone very passionate about playing everyday," said university head volleyball coach Chris Poole. "She was a great student athlete and she held herself to high standards. She coaches with the same communication and aggressiveness that made her an All-American during our 2009 run to the NCAA Elite Eight."
Price played professionally overseas and in the United State following her graduation from the university in 2009. She helped lead Hotel Cristal Volleyball Franches-Montagnes to take second place at the Swiss Volley Cup Final while helping the franchise to its first European Cup win.
In 2012, Price helped the Indiana Hoosier Exterminators win the Women's USA Volleyball Open Championship after taking second in 2010. She also had a stint with the Florida Wave where she led the team to a second place finish 2013 in addition to winning the Florida Region of USA Volleyball Award for the Most Outstanding Adult Female Player.
While playing in the United States, Price served as a graduate assistant for Valdosta State before stepping into the role of a volunteer assistant in 2014 where she helped the Blaze to a 25-8 record and 16-4 mark in conference play, while advancing to the second round of the NCAA Division II south regional in addition to the first-ever Gulf South Conference title.
Price served as the interim head coach at Valdosta State from January to March 2014.
At South Alabama, Price was credited with making huge improvements over two seasons, while working with Mechell Daniel, who captured Second Team All-Sun Belt honors before signing a professional contract with Oriveden Ponnistus of the European Volleyball Confederation in Finland, university officials said.
In addition, Price helped the Jaguars to their best season since 1994 with 17 wins in 2016, tying for second in the Sun Belt Conference East Division, which was the best finish in program history. The Jaguars had a winning record for the first time since 1989.
Price graduated from FSU in the fall of 2009 where she majored in psychology. She made the dean's list in the fall of 2008 and is one of the 52 Florida State student-athletes to have received the ACC Postgraduate Scholarship.
The 2009 FSU Volleyball Most Influential Player earned a master of science degree in marriage and family therapy from Valdosta State in 2014.