Bio

Carey Jones is in her 17th year as the head coach of the Trojans, with a career record of 343-204. Under her leadership, the program has consistently achieved both athletic and academic excellence.

In the 2024 season, the team achieved the most wins in program history, finishing the season with an impressive 29-5 overall record and a 14-2 mark in conference play. The Trojans capped off the year by earning a third-place finish at the NJCAA National Championship, marking a significant milestone for the program.

During the 2023 season, the Trojans had an impressive record of 23-11, finishing in second place. They continued into the postseason, winning the Region VI Championship and earning a trip to nationals for the first time in over 50 years. The Trojans concluded their run at nationals with a 1-2 record, securing a victory against Odessa and finishing in 12th place. The Trojans excelled academically, finishing the year with a 3.8 GPA and 13 Academic All-Americans.

The 2022 squad achieved a remarkable 3.87 team GPA, ranking them third nationally. They were honored as a United States Marine Corps (USMC)/American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Academic Team and made the AVCA Honor Roll for teams with GPAs in the top 20% among two-year colleges. A notable highlight from that season was the signing of letters of intent by five sophomores to continue their education and athletics at four-year universities.

The 2020 season, impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, saw the Trojans play their schedule in the spring, finishing with a 14-9 record and reaching the semi-finals of the Region IV Tournament. Academically, the team achieved a 3.6 GPA, placing them among the top 20 in the NJCAA for GPA, while also earning recognition on the AVCA All-Academic Team and as an NJCAA All-Academic Team. Eight players were honored with NJCAA All-Academic recognition.

In 2019, Jones guided the Trojans to a stellar 24-7 season, finishing as runners-up in both the Jayhawk Conference and Region VI. Six players earned spots on the KJCCC all-conference teams and after graduation, all five sophomores signed with four-year universities. The team's impressive 3.8 GPA earned them a place on the AVCA Academic Honor Roll, and ten players received NJCAA All-Academic honors.

The 2018 season was one of the most successful in program history at the time, as the Trojans achieved 27 wins. Six student-athletes were named to the All-Jayhawk Conference teams, including Freshman of the Year Alex Merle. The team secured victories against three nationally-ranked opponents and boasted winning streaks of 15 and 10 matches. They concluded the year with a cumulative GPA of 3.7, and 11 players were recognized on NJCAA All-Academic teams. Six of the eight sophomores signed letters of intent with competitive four-year programs across the country.

During her time coaching, Jones has coached four All-Americans, including two First Team selections with Amanda Caputi and Karlotta Kattai. Additionally, Aleksandra Malek earned Second Team honors in 2016, and Celia Mbaya received an Honorable Mention recognition more recently in 2023.

Before her tenure at Colby, Jones was the head volleyball coach at Andale High School in 2008 and served as an assistant coach at Garden City Community College during the 2006 season.

A two-sport athlete during her time at Cottey College in Nevada, Mo., Jones played basketball and volleyball. She transferred to the University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth, Kan., where she continued her volleyball career and studied sports management and marketing. Throughout college, she gained coaching experience at the club level.

Originally from Fredonia, Kansas, Coach Jones is married to Chad Jones, a native of Colby. They have two sons, Zaiden and Kendall.