University of California Athletics

Unwavering Determination - Feature

Jen Malcom enters her second year as head coach of the Cal Volleyball program in 2025.

In 2024, Malcom’s squad posted the Golden Bears’ most conference wins since 2019 and their most total digs and digs per set since 2018. Cal’s 15.19 digs-per-set average ranked second in the ACC, while its 15.54 digs per set in conference play was tied for first among all ACC teams. Two of Malcom’s players opened up the season with ACC Offensive Player (Xuemeng Maggie Li) and Setter of the Week (Annalea Maeder) nods; Li finished the year with the most kills (463) and kills per set (4.06) by any Cal player since 2011, while setter Natalie Lau replaced an injured Maeder early in the season and posted the most assists per set (9.61) by a Cal player since 2016. On the defensive side of the ball, libero Gianna Bartalo posted the eighth-best digs total (468) in program history, while middle blocker Sawyer Thomsen notched the most total blocks (111) by a Cal player since 2013 as well as the most blocks per set (1.05) by a Bear since 2018. Following the season, four Cal players were named College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District, and seven made the All-ACC Academic Team, while Malcom herself was asked to lead the USA Volleyball National Team Development Program (NTDP) Girls U15-U17 Winter Session. 

Serving as the associate head coach for UCLA in 2023, Malcom also acted as the interim head coach of the Bruins for seven matches, leading them to a 4-3 record while head coach Alfee Reft worked with the U.S. National Team. UCLA finished the year at 18-12 (10-10 Pac-12) and three victories over top-25 opponents, two of which were on the road in the final three weekends of the season. Two Bruins each earned American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Pacific South Region and All-Pac-12 honors.

Malcom spent seven years on the staff at her alma mater, Iowa State - first as assistant coach from 2016-18 and later as associate head coach from 2019-22. The Cyclones posted the program's first 20-win season in 2022, culminating in the latest of Malcom's five NCAA Tournament appearances with the Iowa State staff. She also helped lead the Cyclones to a National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) title in 2018. In total, 13 of Malcom's players earned a combined 20 AVCA All-Region nods, including a Regional Player of the Year and a Regional Freshman of the Year. Seven of her athletes also collected a total of 12 All-Big 12 awards.
 
Before her coaching stint at Iowa State, Malcom spent 2011-14 as an assistant at Virginia Tech, where she coached three AVCA All-America Honorable Mentions. Malcom was an assistant at Tennessee for the 2015 season, helping guide one of her players to SEC All-Freshman recognition.

As a player, Malcom spent the first two years of her collegiate career at Syracuse before transferring to Iowa State. A force at the net as a middle blocker, she led the Cyclones to the program's first Sweet 16 in 2007, as well as its first Elite Eight a year later. She still owns the Iowa State records for career hitting percentage (.318), block assists in a single match (13) and single-season block assists (159).
 
A native of Schaller, Iowa, Malcom graduated from Iowa State with a bachelor's degree in kinesiology.