Jess Vastine has made history in the sand everywhere she’s been, and now, she’s trying to create history on the club level as the 2nd-year head coach for GCU Club Beach Volleyball. Under Vastine's tutelage in 2022-23, the Lopes' Club Beach Volleyball team played in more events than ever before.
Vastine has only been on the GCU campus for a little over two years, yet she’s been a trailblazer during that time. Vastine grew up in the Arizona town of Wittman, which is just 30 miles northwest of the GCU campus. A three-sport athlete at Millennium High School in Goodyear, Vastine was a three-time Desert West Region Player of the Year and two-time All-State selection in indoor volleyball, while at the same time leading the Tigers’ Beach Volleyball team to the Arizona 5A State Championship Match on Court 1 her senior year.
She continued her mastery of both indoor and beach volleyball at the University of South Carolina. On the beach courts, Vastine stared 19 matches her freshman year, moved to the starting spot on Court 1 during her junior and senior seasons, and left her mark ranked among the Gamecocks’ all-time leaders in win percentage, career wins, conference wins, and wins against ranked opponents. Indoors, she helped lead the Gamecocks to NCAA Tournament appearances during her sophomore and junior seasons. Overall, Vastine is the only player in USC history to compete and start all four years in both sports.
After graduating from South Carolina with a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science, Vastine decided to use her final year of eligibility by moving back home and joining the GCU (NCAA) Beach Volleyball ranks in 2022. Vastine made an immediate and historical impact, playing every one of her 33 matches on Court 1, and – along with partner Anaya Evans – led the Lopes to a program-record 26 wins and their first-ever NCAA Beach Volleyball Tournament berth in May 2022.
While learning the ropes of coaching last year, Vastine also earned her Master’s degree in Biology from GCU.
