Jane Ward (volleyball)

Ward was born in Buffalo, New York on April 30, 1928. She attended the University of Buffalo, where she majored in physical education, played hockey, and was a star player on semi-pro softball and basketball teams. ==Playing career==

In the early 1950s, Ward moved to Southern California, where beginning in 1954, she played as an outside hitter and setter in the United States Volleyball Association (USVBA), primarily for the Long Beach Ahern Shamrocks. She was a dominant player in the league until her retirement in 1968; her teams won 13 national championships, she was All-American each year, and she was USVBA MVP five times. at the 1955 Pan American Games (winning silver), the 1959 Pan American Games (winning silver), the 1963 Pan American Games (winning silver), and the 1967 Pan American Games (winning gold); and at the 1964 Summer Olympics (the inaugural year for the sport) and the 1968 Summer Olympics. ==Coaching career==

After retiring as a player in 1968, Ward coached women's volleyball for 20 years. ==Death==

Ward died in Carlsbad, California, on November 24, 2024, at the age of 96. ==Honors==

• USVBA All-Time Great Players Award, 1969 • International Volleyball Hall of Fame, 1988 • University of Buffalo Athletic Hall of Fame, 1989 • Cabrillo College Hall of Fame, 2019 ==Publications==

• with Allen E. Scates. Volleyball. Allyn and Bacon series in basic concepts of physical activity. [1969]. 2nd ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1975. . ==References==