Newman head volleyball coach Destiny Clark has announced the addition of Karen Parra and Sam Jones to her volleyball staff. Parra and Jones will serve as assistant coaches for the 2015 season.
Parra played collegiate volleyball at Wichita State from 2001-04 under head coach Chris Lamb. She led the team in assists her freshman season before switching to the libero position her sophomore season once the position was introduced at the NCAA level. Parra was a two-time Missouri Valley Conference Libero of the Year in 2003 and 2004. Parra was named to the All-District VII Team in 2004. She was named to the Missouri Valley All-Tournament Team in 2004, leading the Shockers to the school’s first-ever Missouri Valley Tournament championship. With the tournament win, the Shockers earned their first-ever bid to the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the second round before falling to No. 1-ranked Nebraska.
While at WSU, she coached club volleyball all four years and earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise science.
After WSU, Parra played professionally for the Plantina Longa 59 in Lichtenvoorde, Netherlands. She was the starting libero and her team finished in third place at the Top Team’s Cup for the European Volleyball League.
When her professional career was over Parra returned to Wichita where she earned a second bachelor’s degree in nursing from WSU. Parra worked as a pediatric nurse at Wesley Medical Center for 5 years.
Parra graduated from Maize High School where she was First Team All-State her senior season as a setter and her team won the State 6A title.
Jones joins NU after coaching at the University of Texas at Brownsville for four seasons. A South Padre Island, Texas native, Jones helped lead the Scorpions to a NAIA National Championship in 2011 and four Red River Conference championships. UT Brownsville made four straight NAIA National Championship appearances in those four years. His primary duties included working with the setters and defensive specialists, developing statistical analysis and scouting reports, managing equipment and preparing the team for matches.
Jones served as a student assistant for three seasons while attending Los Fresnos High School, where he helped the Falcons win a 32-5A district championship and three playoff appearances.
He arrived in Wichita after enlisting in the Air Force and being stationed at McConnell Air Force Base.
Jones graduated from UT Brownsville with a bachelor’s degree in communications in 2012, and he is currently pursuing a master’s degree in sport management at WSU. He is soon to be married to former Shocker and Falcon volleyball standout Jada Witham.
The Jets start the 2015 season on Sept. 4 at the Angelo State Invitational in San Angelo, Texas. Their first home match is Sept. 8 against Bacone College at 7 p.m.
