General | 7/1/2015 9:57:00 AM

Jackie Matula had a long affiliation with the Texas A&M International University volleyball program.  The Corpus Christi native and Calallen High School graduate was a four-year starter who missed only four sets during her 2009-13 playing career.  After concluding her playing career, Matula served as a student assistant coach for the Dutdevils for the 2013-14 season.
 
In addition to being a fixture on the volleyball court, Matula was also known for her fervent support of all of TAMIU's athletic teams.  She attended most home athletic events and was especially devout and vocal in her support for the Dustdevil baseball team.
 
With a bachelor's degree in kinesiology in hand, Matula has embarked on a college coaching career since leaving Laredo.  The upcoming season will be her second season as an assistant coach for head coach Binny Canales at Western Nebraska Community College.  Canales achieve a great deal of success at TAMIU and Laredo Community College before taking over the reins at WNCC, a two-time national champion and one of the elite junior college programs in the nation.      
 
We recently caught up with Matula to get her thoughts on various subjects:
 
Q: How are you adjusting to the coaching profession and do you see yourself making a career of it?
The adjustment has been interesting, I love it a lot! I love that my volleyball career is not over! When I was going to school coaching wasn't something I had planned on, but now that I am doing it I absolutely love it and wouldn't want to wake up and have any other job!
 
Q: What is your favorite and least favorite aspects of coaching?
Right now as an assistant I am doing a lot of learning. I think that learning different techniques from different coaches and being able to learn that there are so many ways of doing things and being successful is probably my favorite part. It makes me really excited to be able to coach my own team one day and take what I have learned and pass knowledge onto my future players.

My least favorite aspect of coaching is not being able to get out there and play. It's really hard sometimes when the girls are told to do something and don't get it just how it is supposed to be done and you want to just get out and do it for them. And I can see why my previous coaches would get so frustrated sometimes. It's totally different being on the other side of the game but I still love it and my passion for the game has not changed. Sometimes I even get lucky and Coach Canales even lets me practice with the girls which helps because I really do miss playing. 
 
Q: What is your fondest memory of your playing career with the Dustdevils?
I played with some amazing girls who became family to me and I think building a bond with those girls has to be the best part. We went through a lot together and I can not imagine what college would have been like without my teammates. My last two years were probably the closest teams I have ever been on and I loved every second. I wouldn't have wanted to go to 6 a.m. practices with out a great group of girls! We overcame so much as a team that I think that is what brought us so close and they taught me so much.
 
Q: What was the most valuable lesson you learned in the classroom at TAMIU?
In the class room I learned that college isn't as easy as high school and you have to work hard to keep grades up especially as a student athlete being gone all the time. You have to pay extra attention since you miss so much and you have to find people willing to help you on days you miss to keep you informed on what went on in the class. And I learned how hard work can pay off in the classroom if you actually put forth an effort. Getting good grades is much more rewarding when you actually try and they aren't just handed to you.
 
Q: What was your favorite class at TAMIU and why?
Human Anatomy with Dr. Mott it was my favorite because I had to work so hard to study and pass that class that when I did and did well in it I had such a great appreciation for it! And my group of girls that I studied with was amazing and a great help! 
 
Q: Do you keep up with any of your former teammates and if so, whom?
I keep in contact with most of the girls! I don't talk too often to them but we do keep in touch every now and then and when we do it's like we never skipped a beat! I still talk to Daria Winkler, Miranda Pratt, Andrea Marshall, Alex Cizek, Tierney Bannon-Coad, Dez Ortiz, Lisa Lancaster, Lizzie Pierto, Jennifer Vega, Danielle Gilley, and of course my little sister Madaelynn Matula! 
 
Q: Anything else you would like Dustdevil fans to know?
I would love for the fans to know how much I appreciated them. They were a great support system and I honestly don't know where we would have been without them. Even when we had games where we struggled they still told us how good we did and had faith that we would do better the next time around! 
And of course I can't forget about our amazing baseball boys who were always the loudest cheering section, always dressed up and all! Austin Voros, Jeff Anderson, Will Worth, Bud Accardo, Sean Smedley, Ryan Williams were pretty awesome and always there for us!