But once she started to gain a rhythm on the floor, the sport became her passion. She improved dramatically in short order, and because she started so late, she was below the radar in a lot of recruiting circles.
When Hilbert watched film, he texted assistant coach Emily Kohan, asking if he was missing something? He figured he had to be if she was still on the market. That’s why Hilbert understands the giddiness Jones is feeling about her return.
“I see it in that she’s eager to learn, but man, it’s stunning to me how good of an athlete she is,” he said. “I mean that in a number of ways. Not just that she jumps high, she’s extremely coordinated. Like really coordinated, Alexis Roumeliotis coordinated. The fact she just started playing … When she told me that, it surprised me.”
When the waiver decision was made, Jones said she had a talk with herself about how to handle what came next. She wouldn’t be playing, but she had to continue to improve. It couldn’t be time wasted. In the same motion, she had to find a way to help make the team better via her play in practice. She filled in at middle where there was a need, but she also played outside, which is where she was comfortable.
The power she displayed in her arm swing made her a formidable part of the BOM squad, which helped the Rams gear up for the top players in the Mountain West en route to the regular-season title. It took a bit of fortitude to be in the right place mentally most of the time.
“Being a player in her position, it’s hard to be around things and people and the media and not be able to play. I think she handled it well, being composed and being a great team player all around,” Perez said. “Off the court, in practice, she helped a lot, and I think our team grew in practice with her hitting. It impressed me the way she was able to be a leader and not be playing.
“She was very influential in practice, and we definitely needed that. She was something new we didn’t have, and it helped us by giving us exposure to those types of players.”
As she explained to herself, an entire year of practice used properly would have her even more prepared for her long-awaited debut.
The results started to show during spring volleyball, then again even more when the team made their European trip in the summer. It became clear to all of them she could play a vital role in defending the title, but also in the team making it back to the NCAA Tournament.
What is also clear to Hilbert is she can’t step on the floor Aug. 26 at home against North Carolina with the weight of the team on her shoulders. It’s on her not to do it, and on him not to allow her to feel that way.
“She turned a huge corner in spring volleyball and then on the European Tour. She began to figure out who she was and what she could do again and how she fit into this particular group,’ Hilbert said. “She’s got a lot of growing to do. She’s a talented kid, but she needs to learn how to use it the right way. I always say manage your game. She hasn’t played very many games, so that’s why she’s still learning to do that.
“I fully know it. I know it better than she does. I think she has this expectation she has to be all-world. I’m like, let’s just take it one day at a time.”
Which is really easy for him to say. Hilbert hasn’t been waiting to step on the floor for three years. Jones can still remember the last real competitive match she played. She remembers it being hotly contested but losing to a team which was one of the better high school team’s she’d ever seen. She also said she was immature as a player, even a bit as a person. She made silly mistakes on the court.
“I was such a baby,” she joked.
Three years later, she feels more grown up. Better prepared. She also understands she has to temper her expectations. She is excited and nervous all at once, and she has to get herself to a good spot.
“I think it’s allowing myself to breathe and give myself a lot of wiggle room,” she said. “I’ve obviously been through a lot, and I feel allowing myself to have fun out there and not think too much about the end game and just really do my job, that’s when I perform my best. It’s just knowing whatever happens I have my team supporting me and the coaching staff backing me.”
With the season opener at Moby Arena drawing closer, the anticipation is building. Understandably, stepping on the floor is on her mind constantly. She can’t help but want to regain that match-day feeling again, to rise up, swing hard and let it fly.
It’s a feeling she has missed. Putting down an attack and celebrating with her teammates.
“So freaking much. Honestly, volleyball, because I started so late, I have no burnout,” she said. “When I play, this is everything I’ve ever wanted. I literally get so excited, and a high-pressure situation playing in Moby, it’s honestly everything I could have dreamed. I am so freaking excited. Being in Europe, I was proving to myself I could do it and get chemistry with this steam so I can be a vital player on this team. It gave me assurances going into this season.”
After three years of waiting, assurances feel really good.
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August 24, 2022 at 01:45AM
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The Long Wait Is Finally Over - CSURams.com
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