Championship Coach Benavia Jenkins Selected To Lead Charlotte Volleyball
Following sustained success as both an assistant coach and head coach at the NCAA Division I level, 2022 Southern Conference Coach of the Year Benavia Jenkins has been named Charlotte Volleyball’s 13th head coach in program history, Director of Athletics Mike Hill announced on Monday.
“We are thrilled to welcome Benavia Jenkins to Charlotte,” Hill said. “Benavia has a proven track record of success across her stops in NCAA Division I volleyball, including winning a championship as a head coach. I had the privilege of watching her compete as an All-American student-athlete, and her passion for the game is inspiring. She cares deeply about her student-athletes and is a champion in every sense of the word. I have the utmost confidence that she will bring success to the Queen City.”
JENKINS’ RESUME
Jenkins comes to Charlotte following two seasons at Michigan serving as an associate head coach. This season with the Maize and Blue, Michigan went 18-13 including eight wins in rugged Big Ten conference play. Michigan started the season 9-0 before dropping a five-set match to North Carolina, which was selected for the NCAA Tournament. Jenkins also assisted in this year’s USA Volleyball National Team Development Program Winter Training Series.
“I want to thank Mike Hill and Chancellor Gaber for this incredible opportunity,” said Jenkins. “I cannot wait to begin this journey in developing Charlotte Volleyball into a championship program. I am more motivated than ever to capitalize on the opportunity at hand in leading a winning team for both our student-athletes and this great university. It is a great day to be a Niner!”
In four years of leading the East Tennessee State Volleyball program, Jenkins compiled a record of 64-40 and a 136-90 record in her stints as an assistant coach. During her first season at ETSU, Jenkins led her team to a 25-6 overall record and went 14-2 to finish second place in the conference. Jenkins produced the SoCon Freshman of the Year in Olivia Cunningham, two first-team All-Conference selections (Kaela Massey and Marija Popovic), two second-team All-Conference selections (Emily Arnold and Olivia Cunningham) and three SoCon All-Freshman selections (Olivia Cunningham, Emily Arnold and Lauren Hatch).
Jenkins earned SoCon Coach of the Year honors in 2022-23 by leading the Buccaneers to a 21-8 record. It was the first regular season championship for ETSU since 2018. Under Jenkins’ leadership, Caroline Dykes was named the SoCon Setter of the Year with 939 assists, 251 digs, 11 double-doubles and five weekly awards.
Throughout her tenure, Jenkins produced four SoCon preseason selections, nine all-tournament selections, 23 Player of the Week awards, five first-team all-conference selections, five second-team all-conference selections, eight all-freshman selections, two Freshman of the Year honorees, and a Setter of the Year.
Before ETSU, Jenkins spent three seasons at South Florida as an assistant coach. She made an immediate impact coaching the middle blockers and outside hitters. Jenkins saw outside hitter Jac’cara Walker and middle blocker Clara Payne receive All-American Athletic Conference honors in 2018. Walker totaled 375 kills, which ranked third among AAC outside hitters. Payne finished her career fifth all-time in USF history in block assists (360) and eighth in hitting percentage (.282).
As a team, USF won 20 matches in 2018 to make their first postseason appearance since 2002. The 20 wins were also the most by a Bulls team in over 15 years. The 2018 squad ranked third in the conference in blocks and fourth in hitting percentage, while Jaeden Brown finished the year ranked 32nd nationally in total blocks with 146.
In 2015, she guided the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers to the ninth-best hitting percentage in the county (.287). Jenkins was also instrumental in working with Eszter Nagy, whose .417 hitting percentage was 12th in the nation, and Annayka Legros, who placed 55th in the country with a .364 hitting percentage.
Prior to Coastal Carolina, Jenkins was an assistant coach at Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Fla. In 2014, she led the Saints to a 31-7 season in their first year of competition and co-champions of the Mid-Florida Conference.
As a player, Jenkins piloted the Florida Gators to four Southeastern Conference Championships (2000-03) and was twice selected as an All-American (2002, 03). She notably played on four NCAA Tournament teams, two Final Four squads and appeared in the national championship (2003).
Additionally, she played professional volleyball from 2005-2014. After graduating from Florida in 2004, Jenkins competed professionally for teams in Spain (2005-06, 08-10), Austria (06-07), Turkey (07-08), Switzerland (12-14) and Florida (12-14). Her accomplishments include winning the Austria Cup with Vienna (06-07), being a Swiss Cup finalist for Koniz (2007), and finishing in the top 10 in Spain for blocking and attacking (09-10).
THE JENKINS FILE
Hometown: Fort Pierce, Florida
Children: Samod
Playing Experience
2000-03: University of Florida
2005-06: Spain
2006-07: Austria
2007-08: Turkey
2008-10: Spain
2012-14: Switzerland and Florida
Coaching Career
2010-12 – Lincoln Park Academy – (Head Coach)
2014 – Santa Fe College – (Assistant Coach)
2015 – Coastal Carolina (Assistant Coach)
2016-18 – South Florida (Assistant Coach)
2019-23 – East Tennessee State (Head Coach)
2023-24 – Michigan (Associate Head Coach)
2025 – Charlotte (Head Coach)