Lea Clarke Introduced As Girls JV Volleyball Head Coach

Lea Clarke brings more than 20 years of experience as a player and coach to the Peddie girls volleyball program. A graduate of the West Windsor-Plainsboro School District and Rutgers University, where she competed as a Division I student-athlete on a full athletic scholarship, Clarke has coached at Princeton Volleyball Club for the past several years while also serving as a full-time ESL teacher.

A lifelong resident of both Mercer and Middlesex counties and an alum of the West Windsor-Plainsboro School District, Clarke grew up in a household adorned with sports merchandise and trophies decorating every room.

While she dreamed of becoming an athlete, she was not drawn to traditional contact sports like basketball or soccer, or to individualized sports like track and field. Fortunately, she crossed paths with volleyball as an eighth grader, an introduction that would change her life. Two decades later, she steps into a role which will oversee the return of volleyball to Peddie, the school’s first time since 2007. Clarke will lead the Girls Junior Varsity Volleyball team in Fall 2026 as Peddie begins rebuilding the program, with the goal of relaunching a full-fledged varsity team in Fall 2027. Over the coming year, she will be devoted to developing a roster internally while also meeting with prospective families throughout the admission process.

“To see the return of the volleyball program at The Peddie School is an absolutely exciting opportunity,” she said. “It can afford the students the chance to collaborate with teammates and coaches, help them develop quick critical and strategic thinking, and have the most memorable, fun experience as volleyball student-athletes, all of which I can attest to throughout my own journey as a 20-year volleyball athlete.”

Since the fall of her freshman year of high school, volleyball has been a constant in Clarke’s life. To this day, her passion for playing and teaching the sport has not wavered. The team building, confident communication and collaborative decision-making that are paramount to volleyball have helped her not only on the court as a player and coach, but also in the classroom as an ESL teacher.

Volleyball opened the door for Clarke to receive a full scholarship as a Division I athlete, allowing her to earn both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Rutgers University. Most importantly, volleyball has shaped who she is. It gave Clarke the opportunity to compete in a challenging team sport without the fear of collision.

“The social-emotional growth I experienced from being a volleyball player is the center of my coaching style, which has led to my strong rapport with my athletes and their families,” she said.