After a career full of leaning on her faith and following her intuition, Josie Vondran’s heart led to using her fifth year of eligibility at LSU.
As her last season approaches its end, she’ll leave LSU with more than the experience of playing volleyball.
From the beginning of her collegiate career, Vondran had trouble deciding which school she wanted to call home for four years. After much thought, Vondran committed to the University of Dayton on April 30 of her senior year, the last day to make a decision. She saw limited time on the court during her freshman campaign in 2018, but in 2019, Vondran took off and led the Flyers with 308 assists, averaging about 4.7 per set.
Vondran was content with her career panning out at Dayton, but she always pondered the idea of going back home to become a Buckeye. Considering how both of her parents were student-athletes at Ohio State, she was surrounded by the Buckeye nation her whole life and grew up with Ohio State being her dream school.
When her recruitment process started in high school, Vondran felt that the direction Ohio State’s volleyball program was headed wasn’t the right fit for her at the time. It wasn’t until a new head coach was announced that Vondran realized she wanted to become a Buckeye.
In January 2020, Ohio State volleyball alumna Jen Flynn Oldenburg was hired to become the head coach for the Buckeyes. Oldenburg played from 1996 to 1999 and developed a close relationship with Vondran’s mom, Tracy, who played from 1989 to 1992.
The two kept in touch over the years and Vondran knew she couldn’t pass up on the opportunity to learn from one of the greatest Buckeyes in program history.
Vondran’s first season with the Buckeyes is one most volleyball fans remember across the country. In her first season, coach Oldenburg was given a program that went 15-17 in 2019 and completely flipped the script, leading the Buckeyes to a 16-4 record. Vondran described the experience as one that majorly impacted her career and development as a player.
After two seasons with the Buckeyes, Vondran was given the choice to use a COVID-19-granted fifth year of eligibility after her senior year.
“I was actually planning on taking my fifth year at Ohio State, but in the beginning of January of 2022, I was told to go find somewhere else to play,” Vondran said. “So it wasn’t really by choice. I was happy and I loved being a Buckeye ‘cause that was what my parents did, but it just wasn’t working out.”
With an open mind heading into the transfer portal, Vondran’s biggest focus was making sure the school she ended her collegiate career with would make her happy. She received a handful of phone calls and emails for recruitment and the three schools she talked to and engaged with the most were Brigham Young University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and LSU.
“After I went into the portal, [associate head] coach Jill Wilson, from the indoor team, she called me,” Vondran said. “She was my coach at Ohio State, formerly, and she was basically just like, ‘When you’re ready to start talking about recruiting, take a look at LSU because we would like to have you for next year.’”
During her recruitment process with LSU, the coaching staff was a main factor in her decision to become a Tiger. Vondran felt like she had an “awesome level” of connection with the coaches on her visit. Like Ohio State, a new head coach was headed to campus for the Tigers when Vondran was looking for a new school—Tonya Johnson was named the head coach for the indoor team, returning to her alma mater after playing for LSU from 1987 to 1990.
Just as she was with Ohio State, Vondran was a part of another successful first season under a new head coach. The 2022 indoor volleyball season was one of the most successful for LSU in years, and she contributed greatly to that.
Sharing time at the setting position with freshman Maddie Waak, Vondran averaged near 6.5 assists per set with a total of 732 on the season to lead the Tigers. Aside from notable wins over top-25 opponents, the indoor team also advanced in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014, making this past season one to remember.
“I think that when you have a huge breakout season, I think a lot of teams initially think that it’s a fluke,” Vondran said. “I can say that I think both Ohio State and LSU have pulled through. Last season for LSU, I think we pulled through significantly by making it to the tournament. I know a handful of people didn’t think we’d make it.”
After the incredible run from LSU’s indoor volleyball team this past season, Vondran headed out to the sand for LSU beach volleyball’s 2023 season.
“Even in the beginning parts of my collegiate career, [I knew] I did want to end playing beach in college,” Vondran said. “That was one of the selling points coming here, that I could play indoor and beach.”
Since Vondran has been around volleyball her entire life, she feels as though her indoor volleyball IQ is strong and she knows the game very well—she says she wants to get to the point where she knows the game of beach just as well.
“Oh my goodness, I have so much respect for girls that play beach volleyball,” Vondran said. “There is just so much strategy that I didn’t know about. I have to be in really, really good shape. I have to move in the sand really well. I have to have really, really good ball control. Those things are important in indoor, but I’d say that they’re exposed more often when you’re on the beach. I’m basically uncomfortable for two hours a day trying to learn a new game. It’s a challenge, but it’s really fun.”
As beach volleyball approaches postseason, the plan for what’s next is something Vondran has always had her mind set on. She plans to pursue a professional career in indoor volleyball.
“That has been a huge goal of mine since even before I played in college,” Vondran said. “And now with all the pro leagues in the U.S. coming out, and even a couple [of] leagues overseas, there are some really good opportunities for me to continue playing, and my body is healthy enough that I still love the game well enough. I don’t want to be done yet.”
Once the beach volleyball season comes to an end at the beginning of May, so will Vondran’s collegiate career. Although she was only on campus for one year, Vondran’s time as a Tiger contributed to a historic turning point for the LSU indoor volleyball team, and she thanks LSU for giving her something greater in return.
“If you would’ve told me, like, four or five years ago today that I would’ve ended up playing in Louisiana, you know, playing here, compared to just four straight years at Dayton, I would’ve not believed you,” Vondran said. “I just cannot be any more grateful for what the coaching staffs at LSU have done for me because my love of the game has definitely been brought back. It’s crazy what a year’s difference makes. I’m more than grateful for the experience.”
