Former Purdue All-American Jena Otec joined the Hilltoppers' staff in January 2023 and entered her first season on The Hill during the 2023-24 season.
In her first season on the Hill, Otec helpd the Hilltoppers to a 30-5 overall record and a perfect 16-0 Conference USA record. The Tops also captured their ninth regular season title and eighth tournament title which earned them an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Otec helped both sophomore defensive specialist Abby Schaefer and redshirt sophomore defensive specialist Kelsey Brangers to over 500 combined digs on the season.
Prior to The Hill, Otec was an assistant at Eastern Michigan in 2022. Primarily working with the Eagles’ liberos and defensive specialists, and assisting outside hitters, she also assisted in developing four College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honorees, eight Academic All-MAC Team members, and All-MAC First Team honoree, Raeven Chase.
"Jena is an exciting young piece to add to the puzzle", said of the All-American by head coach Travis Hudson. "She was a very accomplished defensive player during her playing career and we are excited about what she will bring to our gym. I also think she has the tools necessary to be one of the top young recruiters in the country.”
During her playing career, and in the time since, Otec has continued to excel as a coach. Prior to EMU, she spent five years with The Academy Boiler Juniors, a Lafayette, Ind.-based organization that offers club teams, camps, clinics, lessons, tournaments, and more for youth volleyball players in that area. There, Otec has served as the assistant coach for numerous teams, including The Academy Boiler Juniors 15 Gold (2020-21), 16 Gold (2021-22), and 12 Regional (2017-18). She led her teams to numerous championships during her time guiding them, and has also mentored multiple standout junior players.
Most recently, Otec helped a pair of players earn spots on the AVCA Phenom Watch List and helped one clinch a spot participating in the USA National Training and Development Program. She also helped multiple prep athletes become an all-state honorees in Indiana. In addition to her work with The Academy Boiler Juniors, Otec also established and has run Jena Otec Volleyball Camps since 2021. She serves as the Director of Operations and Lead Instructor for the camps, teaching junior high school and high school players. Focus areas include passing and defensive drills, and an emphasis on fundamental development.
A standout collegiate player, Otec was a nationally recognized defensive specialist at Purdue University. A five-time letterwinner with the Boilermakers, Otec was twice named an AVCA Honorable Mention All-American (2020, 2021), was a two-time All-Big Ten honoree (2020, 2021), earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2020, and was a multiple-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree (2020, 2021). Additionally, she collected All-American honors from VolleyballMag.com following both the 2020 and 2021 campaigns.
One of the best players in the Big Ten Conference, Otec started every set during her senior campaign. She was the first Purdue Libero in history to earn All-America honors from the AVCA as she finished at No. 23 in the nation in digs (383) during the spring campaign. She closed that season with 4.56 digs per set, the third-best mark in program history.
A two-time graduate of Purdue, Otec holds her bachelor's degree in Selling and Sales Management, and a master's degree in Technology, Leadership, and Innovation.
A St. Louis, Mo. native, Otec resides in Bowling Green with her miniature Golden-Doodle, Moose.
