GLASSBORO, NJ – Rowan University Athletics mourns the passing of beloved head volleyball coach
Deana Jespersen, who passed away on November 2nd after a courageous battle with cancer.
Services for Deana are as follows:
November 16 - visitation from 5-7 pm
November 17 - visitation from 9-10:30 am, followed by Mass at 11 am
Both will be held at Notre Dame de Lourdes, 990 Fairview Road, Swarthmore, PA, 19081
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to The Hope Venture, a fund Deana started with the HEADstrong Foundation to provide support to individuals and families battling breast cancer. Donations may be made at: https://pledge.headstrong.org/campaign/the-hope-venture/c612145 or check mailed to: HEADstrong Foundation, ℅ The Hope Venture Fund, 1330 MacDade Blvd #2, Woodlyn, PA 19094
For those wishing to support the Jespersen family, please visit this GoFundMe account -
SUPPORT
"Our Rowan athletics family is heartbroken with the sudden loss of a friend, colleague, coach, leader, wife, mother and most affectionately, 'team mom'. There are no words that can truly capture or articulate the pain and heartbreak that our student-athletes, coaches and loved ones are currently experiencing. Deana's impact was universally felt and one thing is for certain, her life and legacy will live on forever. By the grace of God we will get through this difficult time together as a Rowan family," said director of athletics
Shawn Tucker.
Deana was in the midst of her 12th season at Rowan and had the Profs positioned as one of the top three teams in the region throughout this year. The team has compiled a 23-5 record to date, with a 7-1 mark in the conference, and secured the second seed in the NJAC Tournament.
During her time at Rowan, she led the Profs to two NJAC Championships and two NCAA Tournament appearances, while impacting the lives of many young women. Jespersen coached 30 players who received All-Conference honors and saw three of her student-athletes become the only All-Americans in the program's history.
Deana was named the NJAC Joy Solomen Coach of the Year in 2021 and 2022 after leading the Profs to back-to-back conference titles. She also received the AVCA All-Region IV Coach of the Year award in 2021 for guiding Rowan to a 27-6 record and a perfect 8-0 mark in the conference.
She was very active and passionate about helping other women and families going through the experiences of a breast cancer diagnosis. In 2024, Deana began the Hope Venture Fighter Fund and earlier this season, said, "I feel that through our work in college athletics, we have had the privilege of cultivating an incredible community through sport. I hope to unite that community to make a huge difference through The Hope Venture Fighter Fund PINK OUT campaign this October supporting the HEADstrong Foundation. I want young athletes to understand why they wear Pink in the month of October and empower them to use their athletic platform to raise awareness for a disease that affects so many women."
Her coaching career spanned 21 seasons and she compiled over 300 victories. Prior to coming to Rowan in 2014, she was the head coach at Neumann University for 10 years, guiding the Knights to three Colonial States Athletic Conference titles and three NCAA Tournament appearances while she earned CSAC Coach of the Year honors five times.
Deana was also the head coach at Swarthmore for one year (1999) and an assistant coach at Eastern University (1996-97).
A standout player in her own right, the 1996 graduate of Elizabethtown College was a team captain and the squad's Most Valuable Player three times while earning All-Conference honors.
She is survived by her loving family, husband, Orlin and children, Dane and Bryn.
