Webster University Women's Volleyball

Merry Graf enters her 25th season as the head women's volleyball coach at Webster University in 2025-26. The Gorloks have won the SLIAC Tournament eight times, automatically qualifying for the NCAA Championships in all of their SLIAC Tournament title years.  Webster was awarded the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award for the 19th year and 17th consecutive season in 2024-25 while compiling an impressive 3.67 team GPA. In the 2023 season, Graf led the team to a 16-16 overall record that included a 13-5 record in conference play. Her team finished in fourth in the SLIAC and were defeated by the eventual champion, Greenville University, in the opening round of the SLIAC Tournament. At the conclusion of the season, Lauren Borik was named SLIAC Defensive Player of the Year and was a First-Team All-Conference selection while Alyssa Jones was selected to the SLIAC Second-Team All-Conference team, and Delaney Demman and Olivia Powell were selected to the SLIAC Third-Team All-Conference team.  In the 2022 season, Graf led her team to a 15-12 overall record and a 9-5 mark in the conference. Her team finished third in the SLIAC and were defeated by eventual champion, Fontbonne University, in the semifinals of the SLIAC Tournament. For their efforts, four players were named All-SLIAC while the team won the SLIAC Team Sportsmanship Award. In 2021, Graf led the Gorloks to a 13-14 overall record on the season and a 6-6 record in SLIAC play. Her team finished fifth in the conference and knocked off the fourth seeded Fontbonne (Mo.) University Griffins in the SLIAC Quarterfinals. Following the conclusion of the season, Lauren Borik was named the SLIAC Player of the Year for the second straight season.  During the 2020-21 season that was played in the spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Gorloks went 12-5 overall and 10-3 in the SLIAC and were the No. 3 seed in the SLIAC Tournament. Along the way during the season, the Gorloks were nationally ranked in the AVCA Division III coaches poll for five weeks, including making it as high as No. 14 for two consecutive weeks. In addition, the Gorloks won the Bronze Bracket consolation title at the AVCA Division III National Invitational in Indianapolis, Ind.  In 2019, the Gorloks posted a 17-12 record and went 14-4 in the SLIAC and finished third in the league standings and advanced to the SLIAC Tournament for 16th consecutive season.  Graf has been named the SLIAC Coach of the Year four times (2005, 2007, 2011 and 2012.) while compiling a stellar 280-55 (.807) record in the SLIAC. Graf has 468 collegiate wins overall as she won her 400th career game in 2018 with a three-set sweep at Westminster (Mo.) College and has a record of 415-248 (.626) guiding the Gorloks. She has coached 89 SLIAC All-Conference players, six SLIAC Newcomers of the Year, seven Defensive Players of the Year, five SLIAC Players of the Year and an AVCA All-American. Prior to Webster, Graf spent five seasons as the head volleyball coach at the St. Louis College of Pharmacy.  Graf has coached grade school, high school and USA Juniors volleyball teams in the area as well. She graduated from Millikin University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications and earned a Masters of Education in Kinesiology from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. She is also a USA Volleyball Coaching Accreditation Program (CAP) Level II Coach. Graf was a standout collegiate athlete in softball and volleyball, earning the Millikin University's Best Blocker Award for volleyball and setting a record for most hits in a game with 5 for softball.   

Young enters his fourth season as the Volleyball Assistant Coach in 2025-26. Young came to Webster University from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville where he has worked with the volleyball program since 2014. He served as an assistant coach for the Cougars before getting promoted to associate head coach in 2017. As the associate head coach, he served as the recruiting coordinator as well as the offensive coordinator. In his first year as the associate head coach, Young helped guide the Cougars to 23 wins on the season. The Cougars made their first ever national postseason tournament and finished with their best RPI (No. 92) in program history. In 2018, Young led the Cougars offense to an Ohio Valley Conference best 13.76 kills and 13.12 assists per set. Prior to his time at SIUE, Young spent time at Washington University in St. Louis where he served as the interim head coach in 2013. He led the Bears to a 27-8 overall record and a second round appearance in the NCAA Division III Volleyball Championships. His teams produced two All-Americans, two All-Region performers, five All-Conference honorees, and on Academic All-Region recipient. Before his time at Washington University, Young spent six seasons as an assistant coach at Lindenwood (Mo.) University where he was an assistant coach for both the men's and women's volleyball programs. He helped lead the women's team to 141 wins, three conference championships, and two appearances in the NAIA National Championships. On the men's side, he helped lead them to 146 victories, two NAIA National Championship Semifinal appearances, and the 2009 NAIA National Championship. He helped both teams make the transition to NCAA Division II in 2012. Before joining Lindenwood's staff, Young spent time at Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa, as a student assistant coach. Prior to joining the collegiate ranks as a coach, Young coached high school volleyball at Cornerstone Christian Academy in Sycamore, Illinois, and Holt High School in Wentzville, Missouri. Young also led the Cornerstone Royals to the 2006 ACS Illinois State Championships. Young received in his Bachelors of Arts in Visual Communications and Studio Art from Graceland University in 2004. During his time as an undergrad, Young competed for the Graceland volleyball team as well as the track and field team. He received his Masters of Fine Arts in Studio Art from Northern Illinois University.

Jenna Rodriguez enters her second season as an Assistant Coach for the Gorloks in 2025.  Coach Rodriguez assists Head Coach Merry Graf with the Nike volleyball summer camps, gameplans, and practices. As a student-athlete from the 2016-2019 seasons, Rodriguez appeared in 82 matches for the Gorloks and eclipsed the 1,000 career assists milestone with 1,066 career assists as a setter. In her final two seasons, Rodriguez was a captain of the team and dished out 920 assists, collected 646 digs, and added 71 service aces. At the end of the 2018 season, Rodriguez was named to the SLIAC All-Tournament Team and was the Gorlok Award recipient.  Off the court, Rodriguez was a member of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC), Student Education Association (SEA), Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), and Huddle Leadership Conference (HLC).  Currently, Rodriguez is in her fourth year as a high school Special Education teacher with the Special School District of St. Louis County.  Rodriguez graduated from Webster in 2020 with a bachelor degree in Education with an emphasis in Mild/Moderate Disabilities.