Clarion Athletics

A three-time PSAC West Coach of the Year and the record holder for most coaching wins in school history, Jennifer Herron begins her 19th season as the head coach of the Golden Eagles in 2025.

Twice named the AVCA Division II Atlantic Region Coach of the Year (2009 and 2010), Herron has also garnered three PSAC West Coach of the Year honors (2010, 2013 and 2014).  In her time at Clarion she has coached 50 All-PSAC players, six PSAC West Athletes of the Year, three PSAC West Defensive Athletes of the Year and two PSAC West Rookies of the Year.  Herron's athletes have gone on to earn recognition beyond the conference level as well, with a host of All-Region selections and seven All-Americans. Setter London Fuller was a unanimous All-American pick in 2022, earning D2CCA Second Team and AVCA Third Team honors; in the case of the latter, she was the first Golden Eagle in program history to make one of the AVCA's top-three All-America teams. Just one year later Cassidy Snider followed up as a unanimous All-American, earning D2CCA First Team and AVCA Second Team All-American honors after being an AVCA All-America Honorable Mention in the previous two seasons. Snider followed that up with in 2024 with D2CCA First Team and AVCA Second Team All-American honors, becoming the most decorated player in program history and ranking among the most productive outside hitters of her generation in NCAA Division II. Outside hitter Julia Holden was a D2CCA Third Team All-American in 2019.

Herron's teams  compete with the best in the conference and the region. She has coached the Golden Eagles to Atlantic Region championships in 2010 and 2023, leading Clarion to the NCAA Division II Championship quarterfinals in each of those years. The 2023 team swept their way through the NCAA Atlantic Region Tournament, winning all three matches as the fourth seed en route to the championship. Clarion has also won a pair of PSAC Tournament titles under Herron, pacing the field in the conference in 2010 and 2021.

The Golden Eagles have excelled in the classroom under Herron, winning some of the most prestigious national academic awards in the process.  Included in the scores of Clarion and PSAC Scholar-Athlete selections are 11 CoSIDA Academic All-America selections, most recently two-time honoree Cassidy Snider.  Two Golden Eagles were named the CoSIDA Academic All-America of the Year for Volleyball under Herron, Laura Subject (2014) and Hannah Heeter (2013).

The 2024 season was highlighted by the accolades earned by senior outside hitter Cassidy Snider, who finished her collegiate career as the most decorated player in school history and one of the most productive players in all of Division II in her four years. Snider surpassed the 2,000 kill mark for her career, making her the program leader and ranking her in the top five in PSAC history at the time of her graduation. She once against earned D2CCA First Team and AVCA Second Team All-American honors, and was honored as both the PSAC West Athlete of the Year and the unanimous pick for Atlantic Region Player of the Year (D2CCA, AVCA). Clarion reached the first round of the NCAA Regional Tournament, falling to West Virginia State in the first round.

On an individual level, Herron continued to tack on to her career wins total, becoming the first volleyball coach in program history to win 400 career matches. She moved into fifth all-time in PSAC history in wins and third among active coaches at the time, trailing just Shippensburg's Leanne Piscotty and Gannon's Matt Darling.

The Golden Eagles returned to the NCAA Division II Championship for the first time since 2010 in 2023, going 28-7 overall and 13-3 in conference action. Clarion reached the finals  in the PSAC Tournament for the third straight year before falling to Gannon in a five-set thriller, setting the Golden Eagles up as the fourth seed in the Atlantic Region Tournament. The Golden Eagles did not drop a single set that weekend, sweeping West Virginia State and Shaw in the semifinals en route to their second consecutive appearance in the regional final. Clarion beat PSAC rival IUP in the championship match, punching the Golden Eagles' ticket to the NCAA Championship in Moon Township.

Cassidy Snider won a bevy of accolades, first at the conference and finally at the national level. The junior outside hitter finished second in all of NCAA Division II with 602 total kills, making her the first Clarion athlete to top 600 kills in a season. She was the PSAC West Athlete of the Year and swept the D2CCA and AVCA Atlantic Region Player of the Year honors, and was later a unanimous All-America pick. Setter London Fuller earned her third straight AVCA All-America recognition, garnering Honorable Mention honors, and libero Abigail Selfridge earned all-conference accolades.

In 2022 the Golden Eagles enjoyed their best season in more than a decade, reaching the Atlantic Regional championship match for the first time since 2010. The team posted a 28-5 overall record, with three of those losses coming to eventual PSAC and Atlantic Region champion Gannon. The Golden Eagles were one of the most accomplished offenses in the nation, leading the Atlantic Region and ranking fourth in the nation in kills per set. 

Setter London Fuller was named the PSAC Athlete of the Year and was a consensus All-America pick, earning Third Team honors from the AVCA and Second Team honors from the D2CCA. She set two other players - Cassidy Snider and Julia Piccolino - to All-Region honors, with Snider going on to earn AVCA All-America Honorable Mention honors for the second time in her career. Senior Lauren Aichinger was also an all-conference selection, earning Second Team honors at middle hitter.

In 2021 Herron and the Golden Eagles claimed the third PSAC championship in program history and first since 2010, finishing third in the PSAC West division and then running the table in the conference tournament to take home the crown. After going 11-5 in conference action during the season, the Golden Eagles won two straight road matches in the conference tournament, first knocking off PSAC West co-champion Edinboro by a 3-1 score in the quarterfinals. They drubbed PSAC East champion East Stroudsburg in a match contested on the Warriors' home court in the semifinals, and topped off the championship run with a 3-0 sweep over PSAC West co-champion Gannon in the final. London Fuller was named PSAC Tournament MVP as the Golden Eagles advanced to the NCAA Atlantic Regional.

Freshman Cassidy Snider was named the PSAC West Rookie of the Year, First Team All-PSAC West, and an AVCA All-America Honorable Mentionin 2021, after ranking 11th in NCAA Division II in kills with an average of 4.25 kills per set. Fuller was also a first team all-conference and All-America honorable mention after navigating the Golden Eagle offense to becoming one of the top offenses in the nation. Junior Julia Piccolino earned All-PSAC West and AVCA All-Atlantic Region honors, and was also named a CoSIDA Academic All-American. 

With the normal 2020 season scuttled by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Golden Eagles participated in a shortened season in Spring 2021. Clarion went 9-7 over the course of that contracted year. The team used multiple lineup combinations over the course of the spring, allowing a host of Golden Eagles to contribute. Newcomer Julia Piccolino paced team with a 3.96 kills per set average while hitting .252 in the span of 15 matches, and also ranked third on the team with a 3.20 digs per set average. Abigail Selfridge led the team in digs during the spring, averaging 3.56 digs per set. Alexa Cundy and London Fuller split the setting duties, with the former averaging 9.33 assists and 2.79 digs per set, and Lauren Aichinger led the way at the net with an average of 1.08 blocks per set.

Clarion battled through an up-and-down year in 2019, culminating in being the first team to compete in renovated Tippin Gymnasium. They hosted Mercyhurst on November 15 in front of a packed house in the newly-renovated facility, defeating the Lakers 3-1 to christen the floor. The Golden Eagles finished with a 19-12 overall record while featuring All-American outside hitter Julia Holden, who ranked among the national leaders in kills and kills per set throughout the entire season. Already the winningest coach in program history entering the season, Herron became the first Golden Eagle coach to win 300 matches in a career in 2019.

The Golden Eagles advanced to the second round of NCAA Atlantic Regional in 2018, defeating Shippensburg 3-2 in a back-and-forth match contested at Wheeling Jesuit.  Clarion recorded a 22-12 record and a 12-6 mark in conference play, clinching a spot in the PSAC Tournament with a win over California (Pa.) in the final regular season match.  It was the ninth NCAA Tournament appearance for the Golden Eagles and their first since the 2015 season.  Chrissy Cotton was named the PSAC Defensive Player of the Year and a Second Team All-PSAC selection after she posted 802 total digs, just four shy of the program's single-season record, and averaged 6.47 digs per set.  Julia Holden earned First Team All-PSAC accolades after leading the conference in total kills (471) and ranking third in kills per set at 3.83, while Olivia Olson and Leah Vensel were also named all-conference selections.

Clarion returned to the PSAC Tournament in 2017 after a one-year hiatus, posting a 20-12 overall record and an 11-7 mark in the difficult PSAC Southwest division.  Taylor Braunagel was one of the top offensive players across the entire PSAC, leading the league in overall kills and ranking second in kills per set en route to All-PSAC and AVCA Atlantic Region honors.  She finished her career ranked second all-time in kills at Clarion, becoming just the second player in program history to top 1,500 kills.  Joining her on the all-conference team was senior libero Catherine Ferragonio and sophomore outside hitter Julia Holden.

Herron guided the Golden Eagles to a 16-14 overall mark in 2016, including a 10-8 conference record in the newly-formed, difficult PSAC Southwest division.  Breaking in a number of young players at key spots in the rotation, the Golden Eagles avenged their loss in the previous season's PSAC Championship match with a sound 3-1 win over Shippensburg at Tippin Gymnasium.

Senior Mackenzie Biggs and junior Taylor Braunagel earned All-PSAC honors at the conclusion of the season, while Biggs was also named an AVCA Atlantic Region Honorable Mention honors.

The Golden Eagles best season under Herron came in 2010 when she led Clarion to its first NCAA Division II Atlantic Region title and a berth in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight, its second PSAC Championship and its first PSAC West title. The Golden Eagles finished with a school-record 32 wins (32-5) while going 17-2 in the PSAC West. It marked the third 25-win season in Mill's first four years at Clarion and the Golden Eagles' third trip to the NCAA Division II playoffs in that span.

In 2013 she again led the Golden Eagles to the top of the PSAC West with Clarion going 32-5 overall and 20-2 in conference play.  They advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division II tournament for the second consecutive season. It marked the second straight 20-win season and the fifth 20-win campaign for Clarion under Herron. The Golden Eagles were also 24-12 in 2012, including 13-6 in the PSAC West while advancing to the second round of the NCAA Division II tournament. 

In her first season in 2007, Herron helped Clarion to one of the best season in school history. The Golden Eagles went 28-6 overall and 7-3 in the PSAC-West while finishing second in the PSAC and qualifying for the NCAA Division II playoffs. The second-place PSAC ending was the Golden Eagles best since taking second in 1989, while Clarion also won an NCAA D-II playoff game for the first time in school history.

Herron, the ninth coach in school history, came to Clarion from Maryland-Baltimore County where she was assistant coach from 2005-06.  UMBC finished third in the America East Conference in 2006 while qualifying for the conference tournament for the first time in school history; they made the finals of the bracket that year, finishing second.

Prior to her coaching stint at UMBC, Herron had four years as the head girls' coach at Glenelg High School in Maryland leading the school to a mark of 64-13; they made the state finals three consecutive years and wonthe state title in 2002. She was the two-time Howard County Coach of the Year (2001, 2003).

While at Glenelg High, Jennifer was also associate head coach of the Under-18 National Travel team Timeout Volleyball Club, helping the squad to a third-place finish at the USA Volleyball (USAV) National Championships in 2004 and a fifth-place ending in 2003.

A native of Canada, Herron attended Centennial Secondary School in Ontario from 1991-94 and was an outstanding volleyball player. She was the team MVP and captain in 1994 while being named the High School Athlete of the Year and Belleville City High School Athlete of the Year. She moved on to Center Hastings Secondary School and graduated in 1995.

A 1999 graduate of Barton College in Wilson, N.C., Herron was a three-time Carolinas/Virginia Athletic Conference first-team all-conference selection. She was co-captain in 1997 and 1998 and earned MVP honors in 1998. In 2006, she was named to the All-Time CVAC Volleyball Team and she was inducted into the Barton Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013.

Herron went on to play for the USAV women's club team from 1999-2004 and the D.C. Professional Women's Volleyball Tour from 2002-2004. 

Herron resides in Clarion with her son Noah and husband Rich.

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