Jillian Hadder Joins @CanesVB Coaching Staff
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Miami head volleyball coach Jose “Keno” Gandara announced the addition of Jillian Hadder to the Hurricanes coaching staff Thursday.
Hadder accepted the position of assistant coach on the Miami volleyball coaching staff, joining assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Kasey Crider on the Hurricanes’ bench.
“I am happy to welcome Jill to the Hurricane family,” Gandara said. “Jill is a great fit for our staff and our program. She understands her role and has her priorities in order. She is passionate about coaching and helping out players be the best they can be. Jill is a talented young coach and she and Kasey and wonderful complements to each other.”
Hadder comes to Miami after coaching indoor and beach volleyball at Mercer University, where she helped in recruiting, player management, practice coordination and in-match strategy while also assisting in day-to-day operation of the program.
“There is an undeniable momentum and energy built within the University of Miami’s athletic department and I’m ecstatic to be a part of it,” Hadder said. “From the moment I met Keno Gandara and Kasey Crider, I knew I wanted to learn and work with two coaches whom I admire. Together, with our student athletes, I’m confident we will hone a volleyball community that collectively exemplifies strength, unity, and passion. With that said, Go Canes!”
In 2015, Hadder helped the Bears become one of the top serving teams in the NCAA. Mercer ranked 12th in the country, averaging 2.7 aces-per-set, and was 19th in the NCAA with 188 service aces as a team. She also helped freshman Paige Alsten earn All-SoCon Freshman Team honors after breaking the school record for total blocks in a season.
Mercer’s progress as a program began shortly after Hadder arrived, as the Bears improved from a 1-27 record in 2013 to an 11-20 record in 2014. Hadder, who was responsible for coaching and developing Mercer’s outside hitters, helped Molly Locke earn So-Con All-Conference second team honors following the 2014 season.
Hadder also made an impact on the Mercer beach volleyball program, helping the Bears reach the Atlantic Sun Conference final for the first time in school history. Emily Brett and Emily Krogman earned First Team All-Conference honors, with Krogman being named Freshman of the Year. Sophie Peel also earned All-Freshman Team honors while working under Hadder.
Prior to arriving at Mercer, Hadder spent the 2013 season as an assistant coach for her alma mater, UMass Lowell. Hadder, who graduated from UMass Lowell in 2011 with a degree in psychology, is one of the most prolific River Hawks in program history.
She tallied over 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs over four seasons at UMass Lowell, qualifying her as one of just five players in program history to reach both of those benchmarks. Hadder’s teams enjoyed considerable success, racking up a 37-22 record in her final two seasons, including the Northeast-10 Conference Championship in 2009.
As a senior in 2010, Hadder was named to the NE-10 All-Conference second team as she was among conference leaders with 2.79 kills-per-set and 2.07 digs-per-set. She also earned a handful of academic honors, including a spot on the ESPN District 1 All-Academic third team and five appearances on the NE-10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll.
Following her collegiate career, Hadder spent two years as a professional player/coach in Denmark with Lyngby Volleyball Club in 2011-12 and Fortuna Odense in 2012-13. She also gained coaching experience working with Stanford University’s summer volleyball camps from 2012-14.
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