Miss Volleyball Finalist Profile: Troy’s Jessica Robinson
Jessica Robinson doesn’t just jump off the page. She nearly jumps out the building. The 6-foot-2 outside/middle hitter has been drawing the eyes of the volleyball world since she was a freshman for the Troy Colts. Now, as a senior,…
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Continue ReadingJessica Robinson doesn’t just jump off the page.
She nearly jumps out the building.
The 6-foot-2 outside/middle hitter has been drawing the eyes of the volleyball world since she was a freshman for the Troy Colts.
Now, as a senior, Robinson finds herself as one of the 10 finalists for the Miss Volleyball Award in 2018.
“It means a lot to me,” Robinson said of the nomination. “It means that you are not only a good volleyball player, but you are a good leader and you are helping your team with more than just your play.”
Since joining the Colts varsity squad as a freshman, Robinson has had to take on a big role with the teams. She has garnered All-State honors in each of her first three years with the team and has worked her way to being the No. 1 player in our Class of 2019 rankings.
“As a player, she always been extraordinary and has continued to improve,” Troy coach Tom Vigilant said of Robinson. “She has improved her shots and gotten more intelligent with her decisions and her style.”
With her tremendous vertical jump, it’s been hard for opponents to defend her powerful attack in years past, but now Robinson is mixing in new shots and angles to make herself more than just a power hitter.
“I have been working a lot on learning to hit out-of-system,” Robinson said. “We have a lot of young setters we are working with this year so I knew I would need to get comfortable hitting out-of-system and learn some new shots. I was always hitting hard crosses in the past and now I have learned to hit deep line and deep cross.”
Robinson competes in one of the top conferences in the state, the OAA Red, and is trying to take the Troy volleyball program to new heights in the postseason.
Coming into the 2018 fall season, Robinson had amassed over 1,170 kills, 100 blocks, 575 digs and 120 aces in the Troy program. To Vigilant, her impact goes far beyond the numbers.
“I’ve known her since the seventh grade and Jessica is one of the most decent, smart, hard-working and caring people that I have ever worked with,” he said. “Having been around her for six years has been a privilege for me. She’s been a contributor to this team for four years and has been a fantastic representative for the school and the program.”
After graduating this spring, Robinson will be suiting up for the Michigan Wolverines next fall. She will be heading to the school that her mother, Leslie, attended.
“My mom went there and always told me how much she loved it there,” Robinson said of choosing Michigan. “The coaches have been amazing and I fell in love with the campus and the academic programs. The team has been great as well. They are already some of my closest friends.”