GREENVILLE, Pa. – Thiel College head women's basketball coach Jessica Vormelker recently hired Jaelyn Royal as the program's assistant coach.
 
A native of Las Vegas, Nevada, Royal arrives at Thiel after serving as a coach and administrator at Hoop Code in Phoenix, Arizona.
 
Royal earned a bachelor's degree in sociology with a concentration in criminology from Winthrop University, where she was a two-year member of the Eagles' NCAA Division I basketball team. She also earned an associate's degree from Southwest Tennessee Community College.
 
Royal qualified for the Presidential Honor Roll at Winthrop. She was an all-conference first team honoree at Southwest Tennessee Community College. She played professionally in Lisbon, Portugal, for one year after graduating from Winthrop.
 
The Tomcats will open the season November 8 when they compete in the College of Wooster Nan Nichols Classic.