GISH Names New Coaches for Volleyball & Dance in 2026-27

The Islander Volleyball and Dance teams will have some familiar faces taking the helm next season.

Grand Island Senior High (GISH) is pleased to share the following coaching updates for the 2026-27 school year:

Jadeyn VanDerwerken will serve as the Head Volleyball Coach. 
 

She will be stepping-in to lead the Volleyball program after Braeden Mlinar resigned to take the head coaching position at Lincoln Southeast. 

VanDerwerken brings notable coaching experience in public schools to the Islanders.  Most recently, she served as the Assistant Varsity and JV Head Coach of the Lincoln Southeast Volleyball program.  During the 2025-26 season the Knights the JV squad finished 9-4 with a second place finish in the JV Championship Tournament, while the Varsity squad earned 20 wins and a berth to the NSAA State Tournament.  VanDerwerken also previously served as the Head Coach for other clubs in central Nebraska. 

As an educator, VanDerwerken has served as an English Learner Teacher (EL) for Lincoln Public Schools providing targeted language instruction and classroom support to students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, including newcomers and refugees.

Excited to return to the Grand Island community, VanDerwerken is ready to make a positive impact. 

“I’m incredibly excited and honored to take over the volleyball program at Grand Island Senior High. Volleyball has given me so much throughout my life, and I’m passionate about sharing that knowledge and love for the game with the young athletes in this community. My goal is to help our players fall in love with the sport while also learning how to compete at a high level.

I want this program to be about more than just wins and losses. It’s about developing strong, confident athletes while also shaping respectful young women who carry themselves the right way on and off the court. Volleyball teaches discipline, teamwork, and resilience—life lessons that go far beyond the gym.

More than anything, I want our players and this community to feel proud of Grand Island volleyball. My hope is to create a culture where athletes work hard, support one another, and represent their school and town with pride while building a lasting love for the sport.”

Americas LaBenz will serve as the Head “Islandaires” Dance Team Coach.
 

She will be taking over for Kelby Mayfield, who has resigned to pursue a teaching position with another school district.  

A proud homecoming for LaBenz, she brings nineteen years of dancing experience to the Islandaires program. Currently, she serves as an instructor, choreographer, and coach of the award-winning team at The Dance Company in Grand Island.  Most notably, Coach LaBenz brings a strong history with the GISH Dance program where she served as a three-year dance captain as a student athlete for the Islandaires (2019 - 2022).  While serving as Islandaires Captain she also earned a dancer of the year finalist nomination, earned All-American status three times, and helped lead the squad to a 2nd place finish at the NCA State Dance Championships in 2022. 

Excited to return to the Islandaires, LaBenz is ready to make a statement with the dance team. 

“Hi Islander nation! I’m so excited to be back but now on the other side of things!” LaBenz shared. “Dance is a huge part of my life. I’m looking forward to pushing this team to new heights and all of the opportunities along the way. Here’s to a new chapter, it is so wonderful to be back wearing the purple and gold!” 

Chris Ladwig, GISH Activities Director, affirmed the moves and the future of both programs. 
 

“I am excited to welcome Coach LaBenz back to Islander Nation and Coach V and her family back to the Grand Island community.”  Ladwig said.  “Both coaches bring incredible expertise, experience, and commitment to excellence in both Volleyball and Dance.  Their experiences will help our student-athletes continue to build on the Islander Way values and success that we have already established.”

As both Coach VanDerwerken and Coach LaBenz step into her new roles, GISH will be scheduling opportunities for staff, students, and families to connect with her before the 2026-27 school year.

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