Jennifer Jamison

The Athletic Department officially announced Jennifer Jamison as the new Girls Water Polo Program Head for the 2021-2022 winter season in a July 27 press release.

Jamison served as an assistant water polo coach at Brown University, where she oversaw recruitment and game footage analysis. She also coached the Division III Pomona-Pitzer mens and womens teams, leading both to back-to-back Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) championships in the 2018 and 2019 seasons.

Head of Athletics Terry Barnum said he is enthusiastic to watch Jamison lead her own program in this school year. 

“We are excited to welcome [Jamison] to the Harvard-Westlake community,” Barnum said in the July 27 press release. “She is a bright, young coach, and I’m looking forward to watching our program grow under her leadership.”

Jamison said she is grateful for the opportunity to coach at the school and looks forward to bolstering the Girls Water Polo Program going forward.

“I know I’m walking into a program where everyone is family,” Jamison said. “I feel lucky to be able to join that family.”

In the 2020-2021 school year, the girls water polo team finished with an overall record of 6-3, with losses to Oaks Christian, Los Alamitos and Newport Harbor, and were undefeated 2-0 in Mission League play. The water polo team will kick off its season this winter.

Natalie Morgan

Coach Natalie Morgan will join the Athletic Department as the new Girls Volleyball Program Head in the fall, replacing former Program Head Hayley Blanchard. Morgan will also teach Physical Education at the Middle School.

Morgan received a bachelor’s degree from Oregon State University in 2014. As the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Loyola Marymount University, Morgan was part of a winning coaching staff that led the team to its first National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament victory since 2015.

In the school’s May 12 press release, Morgan said she is excited to join the school community and coach high-level students and athletes.

“From my first conversation with the administration, it was clear that Harvard-Westlake is a special place,” Morgan said. “Its reputation for academic and athletic excellence precedes it, and I am honored to accept the opportunity to continue this tradition and take the volleyball program to the next level.”

Ava-Marie Lange ’23 said Morgan has been the ideal coach throughout pre-season summer practices and competitions because of  her volleyball knowledge and compassion toward her athletes. 

“Everyone on this team has the same goal: to win,” Lange said. “[Morgan] is absolutely amazing, as she is not only one of the best coaches I have had, but she is also a friend.” 

Morgan said she plans to hit the ground running with a successful first year of coaching.     

“We have high goals for the year and are looking to go as far as we can go in November,” Morgan said. “We will accomplish that through our team’s chosen core values of accountability, trust, and fun.”

The team competes against Marymount High School in its first league game Aug. 31.