Houston Volleyball Welcomes New Staff Members,Bolstering Coaching Ranks
Houston,TX – Houston Volleyball has announced the addition of Claire Jeter as Graduate Assistant and Simone Sardanelli as Technical Coordinator,bringing a wealth of collegiate and international experience to the program.Jeter,an AVCA All-american in both 2023 and 2024,joins the Cougars after a distinguished collegiate career. She concluded her eligibility with notable statistics, including 462 blocks, 933 kills, a .355 hitting percentage, and 109 aces. During her time at Arizona State, Jeter established herself as a formidable force, ranking third on the program’s all-time blocks list with 451, the most by a Sun Devil since 1990. She also set the team’s career block assists record with 379. In her senior season,Jeter led the Big 12 in hitting percentage at .426,a mark that also placed her 10th nationally. Her collegiate accolades include All-Big 12 First-Team honors in her sole season in the conference, along with All-Pac 12 Honorable Mention recognition in 2023. Furthermore, she was named a VolleyballMag.com All-American in 2024 and earned AVCA all-Region honors in both 2023 and 2024.
Sardanelli brings a diverse background in both playing and coaching from Italy to his role as Technical Coordinator. His career includes 10 seasons as a professional volleyball player, with multiple stints in Italy’s top division, followed by a transition into technical staff roles at various levels, including SuperLega. Sardanelli began his professional playing career with Vibo Valentia in Italy’s SuperLega in 2013. He remained with the team through its transition to Serie A2, contributing to their Serie A2 Italian Cup victories in 2015 and 2016.After a loan to Lagonegro from 2017-19, he returned to Vibo Valentia in SuperLega, helping the team achieve a fifth-place finish in 2020-21 and a playoff qualification, marking the team’s most prosperous season in history. Following a season with Galatina in Serie A3 in 2021-22, sardanelli retired as a player and moved into coaching.
His coaching career commenced with Taranto in SuperLega for the 2022-23 season, where he provided technical and tactical support and managed the team’s scouting and analytics. The following season, Sardanelli joined vero Volley as an Assistant Sporting Director, contributing to a historic season for the club, with both its men’s and women’s teams reaching finals in six out of seven competitions.
Fans are encouraged to support Houston Volleyball by joining the Point Houston club, which provides direct financial assistance for needs beyond the team’s operating budget.Stay connected with the Cougars by following @UHCougarVB on X (formerly Twitter), liking the team’s Facebook page at UHCougarVB, and following on Instagram at @UHCougarVB.
