After a winless campaign in 2013, Jade Sanford, the new Laney College women’s volleyball coach, is looking to turn around the program.

Sanford, a Cal State East Bay graduate who is from Dallas, Tex., is entering her first year as head coach after taking over from previous coach Heather Sisneros, who stepped down from her post this summer. She remains at Laney, working in the Kinesiology Department.

Sanford initially came to Laney to be an assistant coach only to be thrust into her predecessor’s position soon after her arrival.

“I kinda stumbled into the head coaching job (here at Laney),” says Sanford, whose previous stops include one at the College of Alameda. She also worked with various club teams during her playing tenure at CSUEB.

With Sanford as assistant to head coach Linda Thompson at COA, the Cougars qualified for the NorCal playoffs for the first time in their history in 2013.

Sanford is working hard to erase the memories of last year’s disappointing season and sees the light at the end of the tunnel.

“The team is coming along good,” she said while conducting a recent practice in the Laney gym.

The team will return just five players from a year ago, but Sanford has high hopes for the upcoming season.

“I hope to at least be at the top half of conference,” she said.