PCHS Welcomes Back Jean Phelps ’99 As New Head Girls Volleyball Coach

(New Lenox) – Doug Ternik, Athletic Director of Providence Catholic High School, is pleased to announce the hiring of Jean Phelps as the new varsity girls volleyball coach.

Phelps is a Joliet native and a 1999 graduate of Providence Catholic. She played volleyball all four years as a setter, winning Regionals her Senior year. She went on to receive a full Athletic Scholarship from Minnesota State University, Moorhead where she received a bachelor’s degree in Business. She continued playing club volleyball for 8 years, 5 of the years playing at 2nd city.

Phelps has been coaching volleyball for the last four years, two of which are with Ultimate Volleyball Club in Frankfort under the direction of Erin Lorenz. This will be Phelps first year as a Head High School volleyball coach. “I am truly thrilled and extremely grateful for the opportunity to be the girls Head Volleyball Coach. It was a pretty quick process for all of us, but after meeting these amazing young ladies, I know we will accomplish so much this year and continue the culture of this wonderful program and school.”

The girl’s volleyball team has a good foundation of returning players, and Phelps believes they will bring leadership and depth to the team.

Phelps comes from a long line of volleyball players. Her mother also played at Providence (74′), and she went on to referee the sport for before assisting in the running of National Qualifiers and Championships. Her brother class of ’98 was the head coach of the boy’s program at JCA for many years and is now starting as the men’s coach at Concordia University. “My mother and brother will be great resources for me. As well as each of my other coaches that I get the privilege of working with this season.”

Phelps says one of her one of her biggest inspirations was Providence Catholic Volleyball coach, Coach O. “Coach loved her players, and we knew that she loved us. That was a big deal for me. She wore that Kairos cross and lived its meaning every day.”

She currently resides in Elwood, IL with her family. Phelps has four children, her oldest just started his Freshman year at Providence Catholic making him the third generation of Celtics in the family.

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Kathleen E. Kennedy

Director of Communications