When Tina Readling looks back on the path that led her to Wake Forest, it’s not a straight line — and it’s not one she believes was rushed or accidental.
After stepping away from full-time coaching to take an operations role at Penn State, Readling was clear with herself and with those around her that the move was never meant to be permanent. She wanted to return to the gym. She wanted to coach again. She just didn’t know exactly when.
“I wasn’t trying to make a career out of an operations job,” Readling said. “It was a blessing, but I knew it wasn’t me long-term.”
That clarity mattered when timing intervened. Just as Readling felt ready to pursue coaching opportunities again, circumstances shifted. Penn State head coach and national champion Katie Schumacher-Cawley announced her breast cancer diagnosis in October, and Readling felt an unmistakable pull to stay.
“I really can’t explain it,” she said. “I just felt like God had something else for me. When Coach Katie shared what she was going through, it became very clear that I was supposed to be there that extra season.”
Readling stayed, supporting the program through a demanding year that culminated in a national championship — an experience she still describes as uniquely meaningful, not just professionally, but personally.
“It was meant to be,” she said. “There are no words to describe it.”
Only after that season did Readling reopen the door to what came next. When she did, she wasn’t targeting a location or a conference. She was looking for the right fit culturally, professionally and personally.
That search led her to Wake Forest and to first-year head coach Jeff Hulsmeyer, even though the two had never worked together.
“I didn’t know Jeff at all,” Readling admitted. “But when I heard he got the job, I thought, ‘That says a lot.’ He’s been around successful programs for a long time and he knows what he’s doing.”
What followed was a chorus of trusted voices encouraging her to look more closely — former coaches, colleagues across the volleyball world and longtime friends who knew both Readling and Hulsmeyer well.
“In this business, it’s hard for a head coach to hire someone they don’t know,” Readling said. “So the fact that so many people made calls on my behalf mattered.”
Her campus visit didn’t answer every question, but it confirmed something deeper.
“I just knew this was a place I was supposed to be,” she said.
Two days later, another piece of the puzzle fell into place. Readling learned that her mother-in-law, who lives in the area, had been diagnosed with leukemia. Being closer to family suddenly carried even more weight.
“All things work together for good,” she said. “That part became very real, very quickly.”
Readling joined a staff that emphasized experience and continuity — an intentional choice for a program emerging from transition. Wake Forest entered the 2025 season following a difficult 2024 campaign that ended with an eight-match losing streak and a 5–15 ACC record. Demon Deacons Volleyball was in need of a reset, and Hulsmeyer built a staff ready to facilitate that change.
Year one showed signs of stabilization. Wake Forest finished with 15 overall wins and nine in the ACC – the latter being its most since the 2010 season. The team proved competitive at home and more consistent week to week.
For Readling, those results were never meant to be an endpoint.
“Being able to make it to the NCAA tournament would be great,” she said. “But that’s not enough for us.”
That mindset aligns with Hulsmeyer’s resume — built across the ACC, Big Ten and Big 12 — and with Readling’s own experience inside programs that understand what sustained success actually requires.
“He knows what it takes to get there,” Readling said of Hulsmeyer. “And not just get there once.”
Equally important was retaining Director of Volleyball Operations Drew Langston, whose presence smoothed the early transition.
“We’re not spending time figuring out how things work,” Readling said. “Drew has it dialed in. That matters more than people realize.”
Recruiting, too, has been approached with patience rather than urgency. Readling views growth as something built deliberately over time. She’s been immersed in volleyball at nearly every level: collegiate coaching, youth and club development, USA Volleyball leadership, and conference governance. The sport’s growth, particularly on the women’s side, is something she believes Wake Forest is positioned to capitalize on.
“This is a great product,” she said. “The campus, the facilities, the academics — all of it matters.”
For Readling, returning to the gym has been both energizing and grounding. She speaks with enthusiasm about film sessions, practice planning, recruiting trips and the day-to-day rhythm of coaching — work she missed while in operations.
“I love being back in it,” she said. “I love the conversations, the teaching, the challenge.”
She also understands that building something meaningful doesn’t happen overnight, especially in a changing college athletics landscape.
“We have a vision for what we want this program to be,” Readling said. “It’s a journey, but it’s also about getting better. Every year.”
