Jennings reflects on reaching 200 career wins at Michigan Tech
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HOUGHTON -- When he arrived in Houghton, the Michigan Tech Huskies volleyball team was in desperate need of a change. Under his immediate predecessor, the Huskies had won just seven matches over the previous two seasons, including just two in 2011.
Enter Matt Jennings to the mix.
Since he took over, the Huskies have never won less than 11 games in a season, including in 2021, when the program only competed in 15 total matches due to COVID.
Now in his 12th season at the helm, Jennings just earned his 200th win as the Huskies' head coach, over a Findlay Oilers team he had never beaten in his tenure at Michigan Tech.
Jennings is the first to admit that he could not have accomplished this milestone without help.
"It feels good in that I've had a lot of good people around me, both staff and players, and administration, to help us turn the program around," he said. "With that comes some victories. So, (I am) happy about it, and looking forward to keeping going forward."
Jennings is second amongst all-time wins leaders at Michigan Tech, behind Mary Kaminski, who had 258 in 11 seasons. When he took over the program, he said it was never about wins, but that the focus was on getting better year after year.
"I certainly didn't view it as how long will it take to get to X amount of wins?" he said. "I just viewed it more as when are we going to start to see the turnaround? So, I knew it would be kind of a long game, and I was happy with the progress we've made each and every year. Now the goal is to build on that, keep it going, and continue to get better and stay there."
When he took over the program, a setter named Skylar Paffenroth was the lone senior on the roster. Junior Jordanna Kero was expected to be the team's top threat on the outside, and the freshman class included a right side hitter named Aubrey Havlichek and a defensive specialist named Jacqueline Aird.
Still, there was a lot of work to be done.
"When I first got here, the program needed a change, clearly," said Jennings. "So, I think that first step in the right direction (needed) a couple of things. There were enough pieces here to get us going, but a culture change was needed.
"I'm fortunate to have had the support to get the culture in place that we needed. Recruiting is a big part of that, and recruiting at Michigan Tech, it turns out, is an interesting thing."
Michigan Tech classes are not easy, so turning a program around quickly is that much more difficult when coaches have to consider the student portion of student athlete. However, Jennings loves that challenge.
"There's a lot to sell here," he said. "I mean, there's a lot to be attracted to here, and our student athletes are certainly one of a kind."
With the challenges the classrooms at Michigan Tech provides, Jennings remains amazed by how his players grow from young teen girls into successful women who move out from Houghton and find themselves on strong career paths after finishing at Michigan Tech.
"Oh, my gosh. I mean, it makes you so proud," he said. "I think we take it for granted a little bit. It's the responsibility level, and the maturity level, and the dedication level of our student athletes that we get to coach, is (really is) impressive. You spend a little time around these people, and you're not surprised that they're going to go off and do good things. They're hardworking. They take their studies very seriously. They're ambitious, and they want to get things right.
"Seeing them come through the program as freshmen, and then leave ready to go out to the real world, you see the process work in real time, and you know that they're going to go off and do good things."
Amongst the latest in that trend is senior outside hitter Lindy Oujiri. As a freshman and a sophomore, Oujiri shared the spotlight with Olivia Ghormley, and she thrived in that role. Last season, her first season as a leader on the outside, she struggled. This season, she has bounced back, and that growth in her game and her leadership off the court, is something that makes Jennings smile every time he gets to talk about it.
"Lindy is just one heck of a person," he said. "She's as down to earth and hardworking as you're going to find. To see her have some of the success she's had this year is a great treat, and a real reward, because you know how hard she's worked for it, and how bad she's wanted it. She's overcome some things and when she gets going, man, she's good.
"She really showed it this weekend (at the Midwest Crossover). Lindy's going to be off to great things when she's done here. There's no doubt about it. She's such a well-rounded person. She's loved by her teammates. She's thoughtful and kind, empathetic, funny, very smart. She's got it all."
Whether coaching a player like Aird, who set records at Michigan Tech, or a Ghormley, or a setter like Laura De Marchi, Jennings thrives on seeing his players grow as people.
"When you're working every day with people that you just enjoy being around, and that you can learn from yourself, it makes this work that much more enjoyable," he said. "I love to win. I hate to lose. I like going into the playoffs and all that, but you can do all those great things and have a team that is just you don't enjoy being around as much. These teams ... I just enjoy our student athletes. It's the student athletes that have kept me here at Michigan Tech, more than anything. I mean, the people I work with, both administration-wise and player-wise, have been the main reason I've stayed here."
Of course, the Copper Country has grown to feel like home for the Jennings family as well.
"My wife and I love raising our family here," he said. "It's a great place to raise young kids.
"Good schools, they have a nice group of friends. It's very safe. There's a lot to do for a young family, and to be a part of. My wife, Mary, has done very well down at the Rozsa Center at Michigan Tech here, and they've really embraced the two of us on campus. So, we feel like we've kind of carved out a spot for ourselves here at Tech. I'd like to think that we're a positive impact on the university the best we can, and vice versa. They're doing very well by us, and have given us an opportunity to kind of grow professionally at the same time. Raising three young kids here, it's a real special thing."
Lastly, Jennings cannot say enough about the support he receives, not just from the university, but also from the wider community itself. When he took over the program, the team played in front of very small crowds during home matches in the SDC Gym. Now, the Pep Band plays during matches, and the community fills one side of the gym and cheers on the Huskies loudly and proudly as they push for another NCAA bid.
"It speaks to the community and the way that they support these student athletes in town," he said. "The relationship between the university and the community, I think, is a special one. I think volleyball is a really fun sport, too. I think it's a game that when people watch at a high level or maybe for the first time, it's hard not to get excited about. It's fast. It can be thrilling at times.
"Another part is I think our student athletes. They're the kind of young people that we want to show the community, that you can get behind, and that you can get proud of or be proud of, especially knowing that the program has come from where it has."