Ohio State athletics has developed a narrow but significant pipeline in attracting former Baldwin athletes into its distinguished program.

Two of the greatest female athletes in school history at Baldwin, Jennifer Flynn Oldenburg and Kelly Kovach Schoenly, are members of the OSU coaching fraternity.

Oldenburg, 41, was hired Jan. 17 as coach of the women’s volleyball program, joining Schoenly on the the OSU athletics staff. Schoenly has coached Ohio State’s softball team since 2012.

“I’m really looking forward to joining Kelly,” Oldenburg said. “I idolized Kelly as an athlete growing up, but I was also fortunate to get to know her as an incredible person since she was my sister’s (Laurie) best friend. I’m excited to learn from her since she has been around and also built solid programs wherever she’s been. I think it’s great to have two Baldwin grads in the scarlet and gray.”

Oldenburg, a 1996 Baldwin graduate, and Schoenly, a 1991 grad, are considered two of the best all-around female athletes in WPIAL history. Both have been inducted into the WPIAL Hall of Fame.

Oldenburg earned 12 varsity letters while competing in volleyball, basketball and softball and was on teams that won three WPIAL volleyball titles and four WPIAL softball titles.

Schoenly was a four-year starter in softball and basketball, and a three-year starter in volleyball. She won five WPIAL and two PIAA championships while at Baldwin.

“Jen is the perfect fit for Ohio State, and I was so excited to hear of her hiring,” Schoenly said. “Our boss (Gene Smith) believes in ‘The People,’ and Jen is someone that understands the relationship piece of coaching that is so important with this generation.

“She has always been a winner, and that is something we learned at Baldwin — the belief of winning. Jen knows how to compete with the intent of winning. She will lead her new squad with some tremendous energy and belief. I can’t wait to see what she does with her journey.”

Oldenburg competed at OSU from 1996-99, recording 3,213 career assists and 1,138 digs to secure her place in the program’s record book.

She led Ohio State to four NCAA Tournament appearances and was the first conference player to be named All-Big Ten at two positions (setter and outside hitter). In the classroom, she was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.

The Baldwin product went on to be the starting setter for the U.S. women’s national volleyball team and helped lead the squad to a silver medal at the 2002 FIVB World Championship.

“I am thrilled to be back as an official Buckeye,” Oldenburg said. “I am also humbled by this opportunity. I look forward to being able to be a role model for the current and future student-athletes while competing in the toughest conference in the country.”

Two of Oldenburg’s immediate tasks are to begin her recruiting process — the Buckeyes scan the globe for local, national and international recruits — and become acquainted with OSU’s current players.

“Recruiting is such an important piece of this job,” Oldenburg said. “I look forward to getting out on the road to evaluate the younger classes. I think my time in the game has helped me build connections across the country. We have a lot of local talent in Ohio, but I hope to gain interest from the best athletes nationwide because we are going to do things the right way.

“However, the most important thing right now is getting to know the squad. Ohio State does a tremendous job of putting their student-athletes first, which is ideal for me because it aligns with how I want to run this program.”

Ohio State had three seniors and one graduate student on the 2019 squad. Among the players expected back are five from Ohio and two from Georgia. Other states represented on the roster include Texas, Wisconsin, Indiana, Missouri and Maryland, along with Puerto Rico and Serbia.

“Next year’s team will be talented,” Oldenburg said. “The athletes we have on campus are hungry for more, and the class coming in are studs and from winning programs. I am excited to see what we can do.”

The Buckeyes compiled a 15-17 record last season and haven’t had a winning season since 2016. From 2010 to 2016, OSU posted 24-12, 21-15, 23-11, 18-14, 23-12, 25-10 and 22-13 marks.

Oldenburg’s goal is to rebuild the program back to national prominence.

“I would have to say my basic philosophy is to teach the game in a simple manner with direct communication and high standards,” she said. “If we can build the trust and fundamental skills at a high level, then we will take this program into the national spotlight.”

Oldenburg was a highly talented student-athlete in high school and college. Naturally, she has many fond memories.

“Wow, I was fortunate to be a part of some amazing teams at Baldwin,” she said, “but the one (memory) that stands out the most was winning states my senior year. Our team was so invested in each other and we were on a mission. It was great to see it all come together and it’s something we will never forget.

“At Ohio State, it would probably be the countless battles we endured in the Big Ten. Every night was a test. Personally, I think my favorite match was in my freshman year when we beat Penn State. They tried to break me down as a freshman passer, but I wanted no part of that and we had a great team win at home. I don’t think I slept that night.”

Oldenburg is the sixth head coach in the OSU women’s volleyball history. She graduated from Ohio State in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in sport and leisure studies, and spent the 2001 season as a volunteer assistant coach for the Buckeyes.

Recently, Oldenburg served as club/associate director of the Pittsburgh Elite Volleyball Association. She joined former Ohio State coach Jim Stone’s staff in 2019 as an assistant for the USA Volleyball Girls Youth National Team.

She helped coach the U18 team to a world championship title in Cairo, Egypt, securing the first gold medal for a U.S. age-group team at that event.

Stone, who coached at Ohio State for 26 years from 1982 to 2007, and former Baldwin coaching legend Paul Hindes have been Oldenburg’s biggest influences in her coaching career.

“Jim Stone has been one of the biggest,” she said. “His knowledge of the game was evident from the moment I got to Ohio State as a freshman. Reconnecting with him this summer as a coach myself has only solidified my own ideas of training and teaching in the current era of athletics.

“Paul Hindes has to be up there, as well. Mr. Hindes gave me the opportunities as a freshman to start on varsity in volleyball and softball; he didn’t look at my youth, he looked at my skill and potential.”

Oldenburg previously spent nine seasons (2003-12) as an assistant for the Illinois women’s volleyball team.

She and her husband, Steve, have two children – Maverick and Kassidy.

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