Nazareth College Athletics

Veteran head coach Tara Jehlen completed her second season at the helm of the women's volleyball program in 2024, guiding the Golden Flyers to their first Empire 8 regular season title since 2003 and being named the Empire 8 Coaching Staff of the Year. Nazareth earned the number 1 seed for the Empire 8 Championship, falling in the title match to St. John Fisher.

In the 2024 season, Nazareth went 17-14 and 10-1 in conference play. The 17 wins marked the most for the women's volleyball program since the 2018 season. Senior standout Tessa Grover was named the Empire 8 Player of the Year, Nazareth's first since 2014. In addition she repeated as an honorable mention All-American. Joining Grover on the Empire 8 First Team was outside hitter Leah Fusilli, while first-year Alana Lucey was second team, and libero Jenna Mattison third team. Three Golden Flyers were Academic All-District selections. 

In 2023 Jehlen led the team to the Empire 8 Tournament, coaching junior Tessa Grover to be an All-American. In addition, Jehlen guided a pair of All-Empire 8 selections and three Academic All-District honorees.

Jehlen has established herself as a successful head coach after 24 seasons as the head coach at Monroe Community College. She has recorded more than 500 career victories, has been selected as the Region III Coach of the Year five times and led the Tribunes to the 2015 Regional Championship and a fourth-place finish at the NJCAA National Tournament.

The 1999 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh played volleyball for the Panthers and earned a degree in psychology. The graduate of Rush-Henrietta HS was a standout setter for Pitt and led the team with 1,024 assists in 1997 and was a two-time Big East All-Academic team selection.

At MCC, Jehlen earned her 400th career win in 2015 and surpassed the 500-career win plateau in 2021.

Nazareth advanced to the Empire 8 Tournament for the 19th consecutive year in 2024.