Jolene Nagel
Jolene Nagel
Title: Head Women's Volleyball Coach
Organization: Duke University

Jolene Nagel Bio
Courtesy: Duke Sports Information
Release: 06/30/2005

Duke wrapped up another successful campaign in 2011, posting an overall record of 21-9 (15-5 ACC), while reaching the NCAA Tournament for the seventh consecutive year and placing three players on the AVCA All-America, All-East Region and All-ACC teams. In addition, libero Ali McCurdy picked up ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors after setting a new Duke single-season standard with 653 digs.

Duke has recorded eight straight 20-win seasons under Nagel and consistently finished among the top three in the ACC for eight seasons. Nagel has led Duke to three ACC regular season championships, an overall record of 289-121 and an ACC record of 175-67. She ranks fifth all-time in ACC history in overall winning percentage (.705), fourth in ACC winning percentage (.723), third in ACC wins (175) and tied for first in NCAA Tournament appearances (10).

Since taking hold of the Duke program in 1999, Nagel has coached 16 All-ACC award winners, three ACC Players of the Year, 16 All-East Region selections and 13 of Duke's 14 All-America honorees. In all, the Blue Devils have received 36 All-ACC citations, 36 All-East Region awards and 23 All-America honors under Nagel. Included in that group are ACC Players of the Year Kellie Catanach (2010), Carrie DeMange (2007) and Ali Hausfeld (2006).

Duke has also excelled academically and has been honored with the AVCA Team Academic Award in eight of the past nine seasons. Additionally, for three consecutive seasons every member of the Duke volleyball team has earned a spot on the ACC Academic Honor Roll for holding a GPA of at least 3.00 for the entire academic year.

Nagel collected her 400th career victory in 2009 and her 200th win at Duke the same year, both marks that only one other coach in Duke history - Jon Wilson - has reached. Nagel's record in her 13 seasons as a Blue Devil has made Duke the winningest program in the ACC over that span.

In 2010, Nagel garnered her third ACC Coach of the Year and East Region Coach of the Year awards as Duke won its third ACC Championship of the past five seasons and advanced all the way to the NCAA Regional Final. That postseason performance was the best in school history and the culmination of Duke's steady climb to the elite ranks of college volleyball during Nagel's tenure.

The Blue Devils were awarded the No. 12 national seed in the 2010 NCAA Tournament after a regular season in which they went 24-6 overall and owned the No. 13 spot in the NCAA RPI. Duke won its first three matches in the tournament, including a 3-1 Regional Semifinal win over Missouri, to advance to the Regional Final for the first time in school history. The Blue Devils fell 3-1 to eventual NCAA Champion Penn State, but earned recognition as the only team in the entire 2011 NCAA Tournament to win a set from the four-time defending champion Nittany Lions.

Duke's 2009 campaign under Nagel yielded a second-place ACC finish and the program's fifth straight trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Blue Devils finished 27-6 overall in 2009 to mark the fourth straight 25-win season for the team. Additionally, the Blue Devils went 17-3 in the ACC, placed three on the All-ACC team and saw senior Rachael Moss pull in the program's first Academic All-America first team citation.

In 2008, Nagel led the Blue Devils to an ACC Co-Championship, a 25-9 overall record and their fourth consecutive bid to the NCAA Tournament. A 15-5 ACC record tied Duke with rival North Carolina for a share of the ACC crown. After rolling through the conference slate, Duke advanced to the NCAA Tournament where it upset No. 25 San Francisco 3-2 in the first round before falling 3-0 to host and 11th-ranked UCLA in Los Angeles, Calif.

In 2007, Nagel guided the Blue Devils to a 25-7 overall record and a 19-3 finish in the ACC on the way to Duke's third straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Duke advanced to the second round after defeating American 3-2 before falling 3-1 to No. 7 California at Cameron Indoor Stadium. In addition to taking Duke to the NCAA postseason in 2007, Nagel's Blue Devils climbed to as high as No. 11 in the AVCA National Coaches Poll which marked the highest ranking in program history. For the second straight season, a Blue Devil took home ACC Player Of The Year Honors in 2007 as DeMange collected the award after becoming Duke and the ACC's all-time kills leader.

Duke's success in 2007 followed an impressive 2006 campaign in which the Blue Devils, led by ACC Player of the Year Hausfeld, captured their first ACC Championship since 1994 after finishing with a 29-4 overall record and a 21-1 mark in the ACC. Duke advanced past Tennessee, 3-1, in the opening round before falling to 16th-seeded San Diego in a five-game classic in round two, dropping the final set 17-15.

Duke's 29 wins in 2006 were a new high under Nagel and the fourth-best single-season output in school history. The Blue Devils' 21 ACC victories set a new conference record for most wins in a season as Duke took home its eighth ACC Championship title in school history. Nagel was named the ACC Coach of the Year, while Hausfeld earned Player of the Year honors and Moss was named the league's Freshman of the Year as Duke became the first school in league history to sweep all three superlatives in the same season.

Nagel was named the East Region Coach of the Year for the third time in her career in 2006, while Hausfeld, DeMange and Hunkus earned AVCA Honorable Mention All-America and All-East Region honors and Moss was named East Region Freshman of the Year. Duke finished the 2006 season ranked No. 22 in the final CSTV/AVCA Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll after making its first appearance in the poll since 1994. The Blue Devils went undefeated at home in 2006 for the second straight season. Duke posted 14-0 marks at Cameron Indoor Stadium in back-to-back seasons in 2006 and 2006 and endured a run of 38 conseucitve home wins from 2004-07.

In 2005, Nagel led the Blue Devils to a 24-8 overall record and a second round appearance in the NCAA Tournament. After sweeping American University in the opening round, the Blue Devils fell to No. 1 and eventual national runner-up Nebraska in the second round. The Blue Devils won 12 of their last 13 matches, including an eight-match winning streak at the end of the season, to go 10-1 over the second half of the season and advance to the 2005 NCAA Tournament. Nagel also led Duke to an undefeated 14-0 record at home in 2005, the first time the Blue Devils went undefeated at Cameron Indoor Stadium since 1993.

In 2004, the Blue Devils finished 20-10 overall, 10-6 in the ACC, good enough for third place in the conference. Three players were named All-East Region by the AVCA and four athletes were named All-ACC, led by Stephanie Istvan who received first team accolades on both lists.

During the 2002 season, Nagel led Duke to its third straight NCAA Tournament appearance and a 24-10 record. The Blue Devils' 24 wins were the most for Duke since the 1994 Blue Devil squad posted a 24-6 record.
In 2001, Nagel earned ACC Coach of the Year honors after guiding the Blue Devils to a 23-5 record and the ACC regular season championship. She led Duke to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1994.

After righting the program during her first year in 1999, Nagel guided Duke to a 21-13 overall record in year two, an appearance in the ACC Tournament finals and the program's first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 1994. She was named the 2000 AVCA East Region Coach of the Year.

Prior to arriving at Duke, Nagel served as head volleyball coach at Georgetown University, where she guided the Hoyas to their first regular season Big East Championship in 1998. During Nagel's last season at Georgetown, Duke's 1998 freshman class posted a 9-20 record their first year in Durham, but by the time they were juniors, they had won 21 matches and in their senior year, Duke was 23-5 and won the ACC regular season championship.

In 1998, the Hoyas enjoyed their most successful season in program history under Nagel. Georgetown, the top-ranked team in District I that year, captured its first share of a Big East Championship with a 24-6 overall record and a 10-1 conference mark to earn its first NCAA Tournament bid. Among the individual awards earned by Nagel's team were the Big East Player and Rookie of the Year honors along with three All-Big East players

Nagel's head coaching resume also includes a four-year stay at Cornell University in the Ivy League. Nagel won the school's first Ivy League title in 1991 and after she left for Georgetown, the school won league titles in 1992 and 1993. While at Cornell, Nagel amassed an 85-40 four-year mark and a 23-5 conference record. The Cornell Big Red finished first in the Ivy League regular season three consecutive years from 1989-1991, including two perfect 7-0 marks in Ivy League play. Nagel was named the 1991 Ithaca Journal Coach of the Year during her final season at Cornell. Her 85 wins and .680 winning percentage still rank second behind Andrea Dutcher, the first-ever volleyball coach at Cornell.

Nagel began her coaching career in 1983 as a graduate assistant at Kent State following graduation from Edinboro. In 1985 she moved to the University of North Carolina as a first assistant coach. She coached at North Carolina for three seasons before moving to Cornell as the head coach in 1988.

Nagel is an active member of the AVCA and currently serves as a voter for the AVCA's Top 25 Coaches Poll. She has also served as coordinator for the All-East Region team and a voter for the AVCA All-American team. Nagel previously voted on the AVCA Tachikara coaches Top 25 Poll from 1992-98.

Nagel's involvement with the sport of volleyball goes well beyond the collegiate ranks. Since 1979, she has instructed and taught at various camps and clinics, including the 1998, 1999 and 2000 NCAA YES Clinics. In 1994, Nagel served as the Columbia Comets Volleyball Club head coach, leading the team to the 18 & Under East Coast Championship.

Nagel's coaching resume also includes a head coaching stint with the 1995 East Women's team at the U.S. Olympic Festival in Colorado, where she led the team to a bronze medal finish. She also served as an assistant venue coordinator for the 1987 U.S. Olympic Festival and a zone coordinator and assistant coach in 1989 and 1990 at the U.S. Olympic Festivals.

One of the most decorated players in Edinboro history, Nagel was inducted into the school's hall of fame in 1997. A three-year starter from 1980-1982, she helped lead the Scots to three state and regional championships and three appearances in the national championship (one NCAA and two AIAW). A team captain, Nagel led her Edinboro squads to a 116-43 record and won three Eastern Regional Championships during her playing career. Three times Nagel was selected All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference.

Prior to her college career at Edinboro, Nagel was a standout at Chautauqua County's Panama Central where her stellar prep career and even more impessive coaching resume earned her a spot in the Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.

Nagel holds a bachelor's degree in education from Edinboro and a master's degree in sports administration from Kent State.

Nagel and her husband, Samuel Carpenter, and sons, Cameron (CJ) and Tyler, reside in Durham.