Zheng Xiang will begin his fifth season as an assistant coach at UTSA this fall. Xiang was hired in August 2008 as an interim assistant coach before being promoted to a full-time assistant four months later.
During Xiang's four-year tenure, 17 players have earned All-Southland Conference accolades, including 11 first-teamers and two-time Libero of the Year Kelsey Jewasko (2008 & '10), 2011 Newcomer of the Year McKenzie Adams, 2011 Setter of the Year Kelsey Schwirtlich and 2010 Tournament Most Valuable Player Kendra Rowland. Meanwhile, nine student-athletes have been all-academic honorees.
Last season, the Roadrunners won 22 matches and advanced to the Southland Tournament Championship Match for the second consecutive season. During the campaign, UTSA swept a program-record 12 consecutive opponents. The Roadrunners also boasted a league-high four first-team All-Southland selections, while Jewasko earned a pair of Academic All-America honors and became the program's all-time leader in digs.
In 2010, UTSA posted a 22 victories, won the Southland Tournament Championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in program history. Five players garnered all-conference laurels, including Jewasko, Rowland and Schwirtlich, who all were first-team honorees.
Playing arguably the most difficult schedule in program history, UTSA won a dozen matches in 2009 and three players — Whitney Walls (second team), Jewasko (honorable mention) and Rowland (honorable mention) — earned All-Southland accolades.
Xiang helped lead the Roadrunners to a 19-12 overall record and 11-5 mark in league play in his first season. Stefanie Robbins and Jewasko were named Southland Newcomer and Libero of the Year, respectively. Meanwhile, Rowland and Jewasko were named to the conference's first team and Amber Brooks joined Robbins as an honorable mention selection.
The Chicago native came to UTSA from St. Edward's University in Austin, where he spent the previous two seasons as an assistant. He mentored the Hilltoppers' outside hitters and liberos and also was the program's recruiting, travel and academic coordinator.
He has coached Austin's Junior Volleyball club team for the past three years, leading the squad to third-place finishes at the 2008 Pacific Northwest Qualifier and Lone Star Classic and fourth-place showing at the Lone Star Regional.
Xiang earned his bachelor's degree in business from Indiana in 2000 and a MBA in marketing from Texas' McCombs School of Business in 2006.
He has six years of playing experience at the outside hitter and libero positions. Xiang was a member of Indiana's club team from 1997-2000 and was the squad's captain his final season. He also played for two years at Texas, where he earned first-team All-Southern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association honors in 2006.