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Hockaday Volleyball Star, Avery Jackson, preps for Stanford Beach
With nearly 350 sets played, 1,487 kills, a .355 hitting percentage, 177 aces, 132 total blocks, and 1,547 digs, in her high school career, it's truly no wonder why Jackson is a special athlete to her coaches and teammates. Through her senior season, Jackson recorded 658 kills, 484 digs, and 58 blocks en route to another SPC Championship-- needless to say, her time at Hockaday has been decorated, successful, and memorable. "I've been at Hockaday my whole life," Jackson said. "It has literally been the best time of my life-- playing for the Hockaday program. It's fun getting to compete with a wide range of people." Looking toward what ended up being a great season, Jackson says she was focused on living in the present. "I knew this was my last year playing indoor ever. So, whether we won or lost, I knew that I was going to have fun doing it. I wanted to take it all in, enjoy the last moments on the court, and leave with a win." Hockaday ended up winning a rematch in the SPC championship game over Episcopal-- a team that beat them the season prior. "We had fun all season and that was kind of our motto: living in the moment."
As she considered her options for life after high school volleyball, Jackson decided to make the decision to leave court play behind after high school-- jumping into the world of beach volleyball, Jackson committed to play for Stanford's beach volleyball program. "Making the decision to switch was mainly during my recruiting process. That was a time when I had a lot of injuries and I knew that indoor wasn't really sustainable for four years and then some while beach is more sustainable for after college," Jackson started. "I also enjoy the strategic and mental part of it. Beach is more like a game of chess-- always deciding what the other team is going to do because there's so much court to cover with it only being two people. I think it's more fulfilling."
Photo provided by Hockaday
It's easy to build memories when you have played for such a great program throughout your entire career. When choosing from her favorite memories, Jackson counts winning SPC her sophomore and senior year near the top of the list along with the team's usual trips to Vegas for the Durango Classic; "It's fun to stay in the hotel with the team and have those bonding moments off the court, play card games, and just be with each other."
"Preparation off the court," is what Jackson attributes to being the secret to her success in volleyball. "Being cognizant of what you're fueling your body with, how much rest you're getting, the recovery you're doing, and the strength training you're doing. It's the stuff that you do in the dark that no one else sees that really makes you a better player on the court."
In regard to the team, Jackson says the bonds the athletes have built over time are the secret to the team's overall success. "It makes communication so much easier and helps build trust in everyone else. Knowing that yes, we want to win, but if we lose it's not the end of the world because we're still going to have fun doing it. Knowing that this team is not going to start turning heads when things aren't going right. Being supportive of each other leads to a lot of fun moments."
Jackson plans to continue to work hard as she heads into her offseason before college play begins. "I'm going to do my best to prepare myself for collegiate sports." Jackson's plans for Stanford is to major in architectural design with a minor in Spanish.
![[PHOTO GALLERY] CHAMPS: Hockaday tops Houston's Episcopal for SPC Title](https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy81MDQwMzA4MS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTczNTc2MDkyOX0.No8xAWNdL8enMZbdud0dJn1UdddM4kbxZYBg7rDBTtA/img.png?width=1200&height=800&quality=85&coordinates=125%2C0%2C125%2C0)
[PHOTO GALLERY] CHAMPS: Hockaday tops Houston's Episcopal for SPC Title
Regular Season
After opening their season with a hard-fought loss to Hebron, Hockaday utilized every moment through non-conference play to get stronger and remain focused. The team was able to secure multiple big victories over the likes of Frisco Reedy (3-2), Flower Mound Marcus (3-0), Parish Episcopal (3-1), The Colony (2-0), Prosper Walnut Grove (2-0), and more. With huge moments on the court and outstanding energy brought to the court match in and match out, the team continued to build their game IQ headed into conference play.
In conference play, Hockaday posted an undefeated record (5-0) against their opponents while not allowing a single set to be won against them by conference opponents. Sweeping ESD, Greenhill, Trinity Valley, Oakridge, and Fort Worth Country Day, the Daisies secured huge moments on the court heading into the playoffs.
Playoffs
With zero hesitation, the Daisies went into playoffs poised and ready for success. Defeating Cooper (3-0) and St. John's (3-0), the team was set up for excellence as they entered the state title game against Houston's Episcopal. In a tough revenge match from last season in which Episcopal won the title with a 3-0 sweep over Hockaday, the Daisies geared up and focused on the match play-by-play.
State Title
Hockaday defeated Episcopal in three hard-fought sets (25-18, 25-20, 25-17). The team hit .609 in system and .406 out of system. Avery Jackson led the team with 37 kills and a .616 hitting percentage. Jackson recorded 11 digs, two blocks, and a 2.5 serve rating. In the semifinals the night before, Jackson also recorded 31 kills, a .569 hitting percentage, two ages, and 12 digs. Olivia Wayne passed a 2.1 with 8 kills and 8 digs while hitting .300. Libero Siena Ebert led the team in digs with 15. Campbell Trubey had 25 assists while Ai-Vy Ho recorded 22. Katherine Shoup led the team in blocking with 3 while Bennett Trubey hit .333 with two blocks. Remaining resilient through hard moments, Hockaday has truly made an impact on the volleyball world. Showcasing tremendous talent, the team can be expected to continue their legacy.
Impact
"This win meant so much for our team," said varsity assistant coach Allison Camp. "They have been working so hard since the whistle blew last November to make sure they were prepared and ready to win SPC this year. They ended up completing a perfect SPC season and never dropped a set."
"This senior class went 35-1 in SPC matches over their four years; their only loss coming in the SPC Championship last year. Their leadership is what sets them apart," Camp continued. Discussing the weekend of excellence for Hockaday, Camp also credited the team with the ability to create strong bonds and relationships that led to their success: "The team executed the game plan perfectly this weekend and especially in the final match. They hit every serve location, focused on matchups, and remained positive and constant supporters of each other through every single point. They are each others' biggest cheerleaders no matter what and that played a massive role this weekend."
Not only was Hockaday excellent on the court, but the team was excellent in sportsmanship as well as humility. Remaining respectful of each opponent, there is a lot to say when it comes to the example the Daisies set for younger athletes. With talent and dedication, the team has been impactful on the court, but also to the volleyball community as a whole. Hockaday has fun playing on the court and it's evident through every moment.
Camp was stopped by another coach during the SPC Championship weekend who gave a major compliment to the team that she says she will carry with her forever and is better than any stat. The coach said: "Congratulations coach, you guys are so fun to watch. Getting to see your matches, it's clear how much talent you guys have. We've seen your group over this weekend though and what was most clear was how much love and respect they have for each other and you as coaches. You can tell how bonded everyone is and it's been so fun to watch that.'"
"This meant so much more to us as coaches than any trophy. A championship is nice and the trophy leaving on our bus was incredible; the perfect ending for this class of 2024, but the relationships and bond this team has built is what was always most important to us."
PHOTO GALLERY:
Check out photos from the game provided by Hockaday athletics. Photo credit is given to Matt Smith Photography.
Matt Smith Photography
