Coach Benavia Jenkins Elevates Charlotte Volleyball With Two Exceptional Hires
Charlotte Volleyball head coach Benavia Jenkins has finalized two associate head coaching hires on her staff in Gio Delevry and Jenna Orner.
“I am thrilled to have Gio Delevry back on staff with me at Charlotte,” said Jenkins. “We share a long and successful history of friendship, and his reputation for helping teams win speaks for itself. Gio’s strong morals and values align perfectly with mine, and I know his expertise and passion will be instrumental as we work to rebuild and elevate the Charlotte volleyball program. I couldn’t be happier to have him on board for this journey.”
GIO DELEVRY
With the 49ers in 2023-24, Delevry led the team to being first in the AAC in total blocks and tied in blocks per set. Before Charlotte, Delevry coached 14 all-conference selections at ETSU with Jenkins as well as a pair of Freshman and Setter of the Years. ETSU put together its second-highest win percentage in program history back in 2019 while leading the league in four of the six main stats categories. The Bucs finished in the top three offensively in all four years.
“I’m excited to be back at Charlotte and to reunite with Benavia,” said Delevry. “Working together at ETSU was a rewarding experience, and I’m looking forward to continuing that collaboration here, building on what we’ve already accomplished and exploring this new opportunity together.”
At Marshall, Delevry helped one of the Herd’s middle blockers into career highs in kills, blocks, digs, aces and aces while doing the same at Winthrop the year prior guiding the Eagles libero into a career-high season for digs.
Delevry’s NCAA career began back in 2014 at Florida Tech spending three years on the east coast earning two more all-conference selections, before his three at Winthrop, as an assistant coach. His first assistant coach role came at Indian River State College from March 2010-August 2014 racking up 24 all-conference selections, three all-state accolades and the first All-American in 13 years.
After graduating from Warner University, Delevry began as a personal volleyball trainer during the summers with division one and professional athletes while also serving as a volunteer assistant coach with the Florida Wave of the USA Professional Volleyball League. Delevry continues to be a coach for the Florida High-Performance squad each year bringing home four gold medals and three silver medals over his eight years of competition.
JENNA ORNER
“I am thrilled to welcome Jenna Orner to the Charlotte volleyball staff,” said Jenkins. “Her passion, work ethic, and commitment to excellence make her the perfect fit for our program. I am confident Jenna will not only help build success on the court but also foster strong connections within our team and the Charlotte community. I’m excited for the impact she will bring as we continue to grow and elevate our program.”
Jenna Orner comes to Charlotte after eight seasons on the Middle Tennessee volleyball staff, spending the final two seasons as an associate head coach. She served as both the recruiting coordinator and Conference-USA representative of the AVCA Assistant Coaches Committee.
In the 2023 season, Orner assisted the Blue Raiders to their first 20-win season since 2011 and their second appearance in the NIVC (National Invitational Volleyball Championship) in program history. The team recorded 11 Conference USA wins which is the most conference wins since MTSU joined CUSA in 2013. Offensively, the Blue Raiders posted their best hitting percentage (.303) in program history. Senior Taylor Eisert was recognized as Conference USA Setter of the Year. Eisert broke the program record for career assists in the 25-point era and reached 3000 career assists. Five Blue Raiders were named to the All-Conference teams.
“I am beyond excited to join Benavia and the Charlotte volleyball program,” said Orner. “The university’s commitment to providing top-tier resources and support for its student-athletes is truly remarkable. I look forward to contributing to the team’s future and helping build a championship-caliber program for Niner Nation!”
Before MT, Orner served as a graduate assistant at VCU for the 2016 season. With the Rams, Orner helped VCU to a 19-14 record and a trip to the Atlantic 10 Conference semifinals. On the court, VCU produced a three-time Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week in Jasmin Sneed. Simultaneously, Julia Adler (second team), Vicky Giommarini (All-Rookie), and Sneed were named to All-Atlantic 10 Conference postseason teams.
A 2015 graduate of Coastal Carolina, Orner served as a volunteer assistant for the Chanticleers during the 2015 campaign where she helped lead the Chants to a 2015 NCAA Tournament appearance and was later named director of volleyball operations. Orner played libero for three seasons at Coastal Carolina, where she was twice named to the Big South All-Tournament team. As a senior in 2014, Orner averaged 4.69 digs per set and led the Chanticleers to the Big South Championship and a trip to the NCAA Tournament.