Tarleton State Volleyball Recruiting Central Member of NCAA Division I and the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) in Stephenville, TX

WINNING TIME

Over the last two decades, Tarleton State made its name known throughout the nation as a NCAA Division II powerhouse with four championship seasons in a six-year span, including the program’s first NCAA Regional Championship and trip to the National Tournament in 2018.

Tarleton State won its first Lone Star Conference Tournament Championship in 2014, then followed up the school’s first NCAA championship with a record-setting 27-7 campaign in 2015 to deliver its first LSC regular season championship. The 2017 campaign saw another first as Tarleton State won the LSC regular season championship and tournament title in the same season for the first time in school history. In 2018, Tarleton State won the league title and then raised the regional tournament trophy in triumph on their home floor to advance to the national quarterfinals.

In addition to the D2 championship titles, Tarleton State has also boasted nine 20-win seasons in the last 15 years. The Texans have been an NCAA Division I program for five seasons, posting winning seasons three times. The Texan volleyball program provided the first Power Five conference win in Tarleton State history with a 3-1 win over TCU in the first year of NCAA Division I reclassification.

Since 1899, Tarleton State University has set out on a single path: Ever forward, ever onward. For well over a century, our campus, our capabilities, our reach and our impact have evolved; our path forward must evolve as well. At Tarleton State, we empower each other with resources that are among the best in the world. We instill passion and conviction to become heroes, trailblazers and champions. We share opportunities to unlock the greatness within. We wish for everyone who studies here and teaches here, who works here and graduates from here to tap into the infinite wells of potential.

OUR COACHES

Tarleton State hired Jazmyne Johnson as the next head coach for Texan Volleyball, Tarleton State Athletics announced on Dec. 17, 2024. Johnson is the 19th head coach in Tarleton State Volleyball program history. She arrives in Stephenville after spending the previous four seasons with the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns, the last two of which as Associate Head Coach.

“Jazmyne Johnson is a rising star in the coaching ranks and I’m confident she will do great things for our volleyball program,” said Vice President and Director of Athletics Steve Uryasz. “She knows what it takes to recruit, and her strong work ethic plus infectious personality make her the right choice to be our next head volleyball coach. Coach Johnson has strong Texas ties that will be key in keeping the state’s elite student-athletes home right here in Stephenville."

Johnson has climbed the collegiate ranks to head coach after coaching at Louisiana (Associate Head Coach in 2023-24, Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator in 2021-22), Norfolk State (Assistant Coach in 2020), Harding (Graduate Assistant in 2019) and Texas Woman’s University (Assistant Coach in 2018). Johnson also spent time as a head coach with 360 Volleyball Club in Texas after a standout playing career at both Mississippi State (2015-16) and Middle Tennessee State (2012-14).

“I cannot thank Steve Uryasz enough for giving me such an amazing opportunity to be the next head coach at Tarleton State,” Johnson said. “I am excited to continue to build on the traditions and legacy of Tarleton State. I am thankful to my many mentors who have helped prepare me for this moment. I want to personally thank [Louisiana Volleyball head coach] Kristi Gray for preparing me for this position over the past four years. I am extremely grateful God saw it fit for me to step into this role and be able to continue to inspire and mentor young women of the next generation. I am excited to get involved with the community of Stephenville and join the Texan family."

Damien Hardy will enter his second season as an assistant coach for Tarleton State Volleyball in 2025. Hardy joined Tarleton State Volleyball after spending the 2019-24 seasons with Menlo College. Prior to his time at Menlo College, Hardy was an assistant coach at Notre Dame de Namur. The 2014-19 seasons saw the Pearl City, Hawaii, native, managing the practice plans and recruiting.

In 1993, Hardy began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Hawaii Pacific. During his 10 years with the Sharks, Hardy assisted with practice planning, recruiting, and conducting strength and conditioning programs. In the 1998 season, Hardy assisted in leading the Sharks to the National Championship title, being the first ever Division II program to go undefeated. HPU fought their way to another National Championship title in the 2000 season.

Hardy was a member of the Men’s Volleyball program at the University of Hawaii from 1986-90 as a middle blocker. During his time as a Rainbow Warrior, Hardy received his undergraduate degree in sociology in 1991.

Tarleton State Volleyball introduced Alleah Stamatis as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator on Jan. 21, 2025.

"Alleah is the missing piece to my puzzle of what I want to build here at Tarleton," said head coach Jazmyne Johnson. "Alleah values the relationships, the mentorship and the betterment of the student-athletes. She is someone who will bring great experience and knowledge as both a student-athlete and a coach. Alleah has worn multiple hats during her career and I believe the city of Stephenville and the Texan community will fall in love with her beautiful spirit. Alleah is a competitor in every way. I am extremely blessed and excited that Alleah is joining our staff in this new era of Texan Volleyball."

Prior to being selected as an assistant coach for Texan Volleyball, Stamatis served as an assistant coach at Mississippi State University from 2023-24. During her first season coaching in Starkville, Stamatis helped lead the Bulldogs to a victory over No. 14 ranked Florida. The team also achieved victories over Auburn and Western Michigan, who both received NCAA Tournament bids that year. Mississippi State recorded a 13-15 overall record with six wins across the SEC. The Bulldogs swept Alabama twice during Stamatis' debut year and also had notable wins over LSU and Ole Miss. Additionally, she assisted in the development of three student-athletes who received SEC weekly honors in 2023. In 2024, MSU notched an 11-14 overall record. Stamatis helped lead the Bulldogs to a six-match winning streak in September and a win against No. 25 ranked Missouri on Nov. 24, 2024. The Bulldogs played four matches against top 25 opponents during Stamatis' second season. Additionally, she served as the director of volleyball operations at Mississippi State University from 2021-2022, managing travel, match operations, and statistics.

The Lexington, Kentucky, native played her freshman and sophomore seasons at Jacksonville under current Mississippi State Head Coach, Julie Darty Dennis. Her debut collegiate season was 2017 where she accumulated 154 digs, 35 assists, 27 kills and 10 blocks across 19 matches. In her sophomore year at Jacksonville, she was tabbed as a second team All-Atlantic Sun conference selection. She ranked second in the Atlantic Sun conference with 1,038 assists, tallying 50 or more assists on seven different occasions throughout the season. She then followed Coach Dennis to Mississippi State University to continue her academic and athletic career in the SEC. She graduated from Mississippi State University with a bachelor's degree in psychology.

WISDOM GYM

Entering 2025, Wisdom Gym now solely belongs to Tarleton State Volleyball.

“The continued investment by our administration keeps elevating all of Tarleton Athletics’ programs, and it’s time for Texan Volleyball to receive an immediate facelift in facilities,” Vice President and Director of Athletics Steve Uryasz said. “Moving into Wisdom Gym now will give the volleyball student-athletes an enhanced experience, and will help with recruiting as the Texans move into a new venue.”

Built in 1970 for a cost of $1.3 million, Wisdom Gym was the home of Tarleton State Basketball for 55 years. The gymnasium is named after longtime Tarleton athletics director and coach W.J. Wisdom. The entire complex covers 114,343 square feet of floor space, and Wisdom Gym's capacity is listed at 3,000.

Academics

On July 18, 2022, Tarleton State University officially opened the brand-new Athletics Administration and Academic Success Center.

“The commitment to academics was the driving force behind our move to NCAA Division I,” said Tarleton State President Dr. James Hurley. “When we accepted the invitation to join, our Executive Cabinet assured our faculty and staff that we would place the highest importance on ensuring academic success and student well-being for all of our student-athletes. This facility is a product of our university’s commitment to innovation and academic excellence."

The second floor of the Athletics Administration and Academic Success Center is dedicated to the academic success of Tarleton State’s roughly 400 student-athletes. A large, connected study hall commands two-thirds of the area. A small study room with dividers enables group study and supervised testing. Athletic Academic Services is located by the main entrance, which is secured with card swipe access for study hall monitoring. Laptops and desktop computers are available.

The Student Success Program includes three full-time academic coordinators and two graduate assistants, all housed within athletics, who oversee advising and registration, one-one-one mentoring, which focuses primarily on time management and study skills, and tutoring services.

Strength and conditioning

The Athletic Performance Weight Room is where the Texans work out by following a year-round plan to maximize their athletic potential through sound strength and conditioning training. The Mission Statement for Athletic Performance states, "Tarleton State University Athletic Performance strives to provide Tarleton Athletics the best organized and best supervised athletic performance enhancement, injury prevention, and character development program possible within NCAA guidelines." From the layout of the weight room to the writing of the workout programs and the execution of the workouts, the Tarleton Athletic Performance Staff, led by Director of Athletic Performance Bryan Klobucar, creates an environment for maximizing the athletic abilities of Tarleton State student-athletes.

Klobucar spent the last three years at Colgate as the Director of Strength and Conditioning, where he worked directly with Football, Men's and Women's Ice Hockey, Golf, Softball, Rowing, and Women's Basketball. Across his three-year stint there, Colgate University won 10 league championships.

Build Your Brand

Tarleton State Athletics, in partnership with INFLCR, is taking the next step for its student-athletes in the era of N. I. L. Tarleton State partners with the global leaders in content and compliance software to assists student-athletes with personal branding, financial literacy, compliance and more.

Tarleton State is a proud partner of INFLCR for all its N.I.L. opportunities. INFLCR provides a school-customized N.I.L. exchange as an extension to their athletics website where the school can send any business, individual or collective seeking to bring N.I.L. opportunities to its student-athletes. Once registered, businesses can search, communicate, pay and report on behalf of student-athletes they're transacting with, streamlining the student-athlete's compliance and tax reporting responsibilities in their existing INFLCR app experience.

WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

Tarleton State has been a proud member of the Western Athletic Conference since 2020. From its inception in 1962, the Western Athletic Conference has been committed to excellence in intercollegiate athletics, while promoting the academic missions of its member institutions. Progressive in its approach, the WAC continues to cultivate opportunities for student-athletes to compete at the highest level while fostering academic achievement and sportsmanship.

The WAC has experienced tremendous success over the years. In men’s basketball, the WAC has sent at least two teams to the NCAA Tournament 28 different times. In baseball, the WAC has boasted two national champions since 2003. In women’s basketball, the conference has had at least two teams qualify for the NCAA Tournament 10 different times, with a record five teams in 1998. The WAC also sent teams to three BCS football bowl games from 2007-10.

About stephenville

Stephenville was first patented by John M. Stephen on February 24, 1853. After over 160 years, this city has transformed into one of the fastest growing “college towns” in the State of Texas, and has so much to offer its residents whether they be college students, senior citizens, or families. Tarleton State University is located in the Heart of Stephenville, and has several outreach programs that give the community a special, close-knit feeling.

As the ‘Cowboy Capital of the World’, Stephenville is uniquely home to more professional rodeo cowboys and cowgirls than any other place in the world. And the equine industry continues to grow throughout the surrounding County. The ‘City of Champions’ designation reflects the commitment as a community to excellence in youth and civic organizations. Our community strongly believes that investing in our youth is a wise and worthwhile endeavor. Families seeking a positive place to raise kids will find an excellent school system, civic organizations dedicated to youth programs, numerous sports leagues, and family fun events at parks, museums and churches throughout the year. Stephenville is a special place that reflects pride in the community’s rich heritage and commitment to the future. We feel confident you will soon see why Stephenville has been listed as one of 'The 100 Best Small Towns in America!'

Life On Campus

The Tarleton State campus sits in the center of Stephenville and enriches the lives of students with a traditional college experience, offering more than 18 on campus living options, a gym, study areas and variety of student organizations that meet on campus. Students at the Stephenville campus have the opportunity for field learning and internship experience with many of the local businesses. Stephenville allows students to earn a high quality education, while staying in an area that feels just like home and with a lot of history.

Life After Volleyball

Tarleton State boasts incredible student-athlete academic success. After volleyball, Texans embark on diverse career paths, supported by the institutions comprehensive Career Services.

Tarleton State Volleyball is supportive of any and all majors a student-athlete wants to pursue. Some student-athletes are in extensive majors such as engineering, business, kinesiology and more. No matter what field student-athletes decide to pursue, Tarleton State Tennis will do everything to help its players be successful both on and off the court.