Vicki Werskey was named an assistant coach for USF Volleyball in February of 2026 as she joined head coach Jolene Shepardson’s seventh Bulls staff. She brings extensive collegiate coaching and playing experience to Tampa.
Werskey arrived at USF after serving two years as director of the Gators EmpowHER mentor program within the University of Florida Athletics Association. Prior to that role, she led the Iowa volleyball program for two seasons (2019–21) after initially joining the Hawkeyes in 2017 as associate head coach.
Werskey (formerly Vicki Brown) was named Iowa’s 10th head volleyball coach in September of 2019 after spending three months as interim head coach. She served as head coach until November of 2021.
In her second season, she led Iowa to a 4-16 record in the shortened spring 2021 season that saw a Big Ten only schedule. With no seniors, Iowa leaned on several juniors, including Courtney Buzzerio whose outstanding play earned her AVCA All-North Region Honorable Mention and first-team All-Big Ten honors, becoming the first Hawkeye to earn those postseason honors since Sara Meyermann in 2001.
Werskey completed her third season at Iowa and first as head coach in 2019. The Hawkeyes tallied a 10-21 record overall as the team battled injuries. In Iowa’s second match of the season, the Hawkeyes swept No. 22 Washington State, 3-0, at the James Madison Invitational as the team went on to win the tournament.
Werskey’s second season in 2018 saw the Hawkeyes finish 15-16 overall for their third straight season with 15 or more wins. Iowa won its second straight Big Ten opener with a victory over Michigan State. Iowa recorded its highest-ranked win on Oct. 6, 2018, defeating No. 6 Wisconsin in five sets.
Senior Molly Kelly led Iowa with a school-record setting 619 digs, while leading the Big Ten in total digs and digs per set (5.12). She was named the CoSIDA Academic All-America Team Member of the Year in volleyball – the program’s first honor. Senior Taylor Louis finished her career as the nation’s active kills leader with 1,964 career kills. She led the NCAA by 84 kills. Louis was named Second-Team All-Big Ten to become Iowa’s first All-Big Ten honoree since 2001.
In 2017, she helped the Hawkeyes finish with an 18-15 overall record and a 7-13 record in the Big Ten. The 18 wins marked the second most for the program since 1994. Iowa opened the season 12-3, its best start since 1994 (12-3). The Hawkeyes swept Rutgers, 3-0, in their conference opener Sept. 22, 2017, marking the first time Iowa won its conference opener since 2009.
Three Hawkeyes — Annika Olsen, Taylor Louis, and Jess Janota — earned All-Big Ten honors for the first time since 1989. All three earned Big Ten honorable mention.
Werskey came to Iowa after a year as head coach of both indoor volleyball and beach volleyball at the University of San Francisco.
Originally from Toledo, Ohio, Werskey served on the staff at UC Davis from 2014-15, where she worked as the recruiting coordinator and organized team travel.
Prior to her time with the Aggies, she spent two years at Illinois State helping the Redbirds to a combined 37-25 record. Her primary duties included defensive strategy, scouting, and recruiting. Brown also worked with the Redbird middles. In 2013, under her tutelage, Emily Schneider and LeighAnn Hranka ranked among the top three MVC leaders in blocks, and the Illinois State defense led the conference with a .153 opposing attack average.
Werskey served as a volunteer assistant at Toledo, where she worked with the opposites, liberos, and defensive specialists. She also served as the head coach for the Toledo Volleyball Club 14s and 15s squad, becoming the leading expert in implementing training ideas for all other age-group coaches.
Werskey’s prowess as a player allowed her to enjoy a professional career with stops in Austria, Puerto Rico, and Spain. Competing for the University of Illinois, Brown earned All-Big Ten honorable mention twice as a middle blocker, ranking among the league’s top 10 hitters in each of her final two seasons. For her career, she amassed more than 1,000 career kills, broke the century mark in blocks for three straight years, and took home six tournament MVP honors before graduating in 2008 with a degree in communications.
Werskey is married to Eric Werskey, an assistant track and field coach at the University of Florida.
–GoBulls–
