Fresh off a strong victory against Barry on Saturday, sophomore outside hitter/right side hitter Jackie Neff is pleased with how her team is playing and how her individual game has excelled.
“Last year was difficult, no one likes to sit there on the bench and watch,” said Neff. “It was a wake up call that now it’s on me to work harder and to get myself on the court. This year being able to show myself on the court feels rewarding because I want to have the opportunity to put myself out there.”
So far this year, Neff has become a strong contributor through her growth as a player. Coach Catanach is impressed with the strides she’s taken.
“Jackie has made a lot of progress. She was quite passive last year and she’s come back this year to be a lot more competitive and trying to earn a spot,” states Catanach. “So far she’s been a solid contributor. She’s had some good games and helped us win some matches. She’s not a go-to yet but she definitely can become a go-to player if she continues to play with the consistency she’s been showing this season.”
Neff totaled five kills in the game Saturday against Barry. When asked how it feels to be playing so well, Neff simply put said that her hard work is paying off.
“It feels good because this year I have put in a lot more work especially in the summer,” said Neff. “I wanted to be a bigger contributor to the team this year and help better the team, so I put in a lot of work over the summer with working out, working hard during preseason and also during practice. I want to make an impact on how we play as a team.”
Neff who has been playing volleyball since 8th grade can definitely thank her family for getting her interested in the sport and leading her to be able to play for Tampa.
“My cousin played volleyball for FSU, so that made be really want to get into it, said Neff. “And I love playing here. All of the other schools I was looking into for college, none of them compared to Tampa. I just love the atmosphere here and the coaches and just the whole program and the history and tradition. I just love it.”
Coach Catanach can see a great amount of potential in Neff mentally and physically as a volleyball player.
“Jackie is gifted with physical and natural strength; she’s a big strong kid so that is there, that potential is there,” states Catanach.
“It is a scary thing because you have the expectations of what a person can be like with that potential. The other part of it is the whole mental side. Jackie has got to make a decision on how she’s going to compete everyday, go after it and play with aggression. If that happens then she has great potential as an athlete. I’m looking forward to seeing her come out of her shell and to be a lot more assertive and aggressive as a player because that will carry her in life and with anything she does after volleyball and after UT.”
With such a strong passion for the game, it’s not unusual for her to have some superstition before each match.
“I always do my hair the same way, little side braid with a pony tail. I feel like if I don’t do that then I won’t play well,” Neff said. “I also listen to the same songs. Rap doesn’t warm me up! I listen to the same playlist of country songs before each match and it helps me and it motivates me.”
Paige Shallcross can be reached at paige.shallcross@spartans.ut.edu.