High School Preview – Jaci Mesa 2022 Libero
This month I will be rolling out some articles that are a little different than we have been writing for the past couple of months. I will still be doing our regular highlight articles on multiple athletes for exposure, however…
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Continue ReadingThis month I will be rolling out some articles that are a little different than we have been writing for the past couple of months. I will still be doing our regular highlight articles on multiple athletes for exposure, however I wanted to do some special articles on a few special athletes that we are getting to know quite well with Prep Dig TX. These young ladies volunteered to discuss their upcoming high school season and how they are planning on getting ready for it. Today is the very first one and I am going to start with a dandy of a player. We have written about her before and I’m sure you will see many articles about her in the future. Jaci was picked for a variety of reasons but the most important one is her leadership role that she has within her high school team. I thought it would be a good idea for our readers to get some insight into what a leader of a team thinks about in regards to her upcoming high school season. Without further ado, here is our article on Miss Jaci Mesa Jaci Mesa 5'6" | DS/L Smithson Valley | 2022 State TX .
Jaci Mesa Jaci Mesa 5'6" | DS/L Smithson Valley | 2022 State TX [2022] 5-6 Libero (HS: Smithson Valley/Club: Alamo/ Verbal: Uncommitted)
Jaci is currently ranked as the 18thbest player in the entire 2022 class in the state of Texas according to our Prep Dig Rankings. I have also ranked her as the top libero in the class in Texas. Earlier in the year I wrote an article about her that stated, “Very athletic libero Jaci Mesa Jaci Mesa 5'6" | DS/L Smithson Valley | 2022 State TX is a sight to see. Very little falls near her zone. She covers a lot more ground that one would think when looking at her. She has a laser focus when playing on the court that is refreshing to watch. She is uncommitted as of now but that should change soon once colleges get to take a closer look at her. Liberos and Defensive Specialists are flooded in the volleyball landscape, but Miss Mesa is one that stands out. Her balance while on serve receive is picturesque and she freezes very well to deliver a perfect ball to the setter. Her Alamo team is very blessed to have her commanding the back row. This is why I think she is one of the best in the 2022 Class in Texas.” All of this is still true about her and I have been able to get even more information. We wrote an article about her school as well and her coach described her leadership on the team as one of the best decisions she has made at the school. This speaks volumes about the player that she is. Some liberos are all about form and technique and are very robotic in their approach to ball contact. Some liberos have a natural touch on the ball. Some liberos are just extremely athletic and do whatever it takes and their bodies never look the same when delivering to their teammates. When I watch Miss Mesa play the game there are times where she does all of these. It depends on the play. All I know is that she is one of my favorite liberos to watch play the game and I cannot wait to cover her high school season as I am expecting great things of her as she leads Smithson Valley in to battle.
I discussed who she is as a person at home with her mom, Jen Mesa, and she says that she is a wonderful supportive sister and daughter. She is extremely She has a fantastic heart and is very thankful of what her parents are able to provide for her. She is not one to spend money frivolously and always looks for the good sale of an item. She always wants her mom to watch shows with her and this says a lot about a person and their ability to form relationships with people. This is why Jaci is always the kid that teachers use to sit by other students who have difficult times in school to help them. It is because of characteristics like these that will help Jaci become great in the medical field, which she currently wants to pursue. College coaches love seeing what parents and coaches say about an athlete and it will usually give them good insight into who are recruiting for a college team. It is safe to say that whoever selects this one, will be in great hands.
Being able to play in college is way more than just the athletic ability that one possesses. It is more about the mental toughness that one has and the ability to be a great leader/teammate. Jaci has it all and her high school coach/teammates agree. We sat down with Jaci and asked her a few questions about volleyball, dealing with Covid-19 and the upcoming high school season. Here is a little bit of the conversation we had. We hope you enjoy.
Prep Dig TX: Why Volleyball? Why is it so important to you? What do you love about it?
Jaci: I chose Volleyball because it was the thing that I could see myself growing in as an athlete and as a person. It involves sacrifice, precision, effort, teamwork, and passion. It has also given me friendships that I cherish immensely, along with coaches and mentors that will always help me in life.
Prep Dig TX: What do you love about your position on the court the most?
Jaci: I am a libero and I wouldn’t want to play anything else. What I love about this position is the contribution I have in each play. Whether it’s serve receive or defense, I always know that my touch or my voice is important to the outcome of each play.
Prep Dig TX: What are you looking forward to most this season?
Jaci: What I am looking forward to most this school season is seeing the growth within my team. We had a lot of bumps in the road last year, but we are putting in hours everyday and I am hoping that it will pay off in district and playoffs.
Prep Dig TX: What do you think your biggest obstacle this year compared to last year’s school season? How do you plan to overcome it?
Jaci: I think our biggest obstacle is leaning to trust each other and listen to one another. I think that the only way to move past this is to constantly work on it everyday in practice an openly communicate with and listen to each other.
Prep Dig TX: What are three individual goals that you have for this high school season?
Jaci: Three individual goals that I have for this season are to help my team make it to playoffs, consistently pass above a 2.0, and to set two dig records.
Prep Dig TX: Finish this Sentence…this high school volleyball season I’m going to _____
Jaci: This school volleyball season I am going to do whatever I can to give my team the best opportunities to succeed.
Prep Dig TX: What did Covid-19 do to you mentally during this long shutdown? How have you coped with it?
Jaci: Covid-19 definitely had an effect on me as an athlete. I lost my motivation and drive a couple of times not knowing when or if anything was going to happen. I’ve coped with it by finding workout buddies, finding ways to get touches at home, and as things began opening…reuniting with my teammates.
It is safe to say that athletes like Jaci Mesa Jaci Mesa 5'6" | DS/L Smithson Valley | 2022 State TX have a lot of passion for the game of volleyball. If you have ever watched her play, you could easily see it. I decided to write a few articles on players such as her so that our readers can get a true understanding of what these athletes go through and how volleyball is a passion for them like it is for many of us. These players deserve all of the recognition that they can get. I will be rolling these out throughout the month along with our regular highlight articles that contain multiple athletes.
We will be publishing more articles daily to give the recognition to each athlete that has earned the right to be called a top 100 Texas Volleyball Player. Stay tuned for more articles on your favorite athletes. If you have anyone you think we should watch out for or that you think have what it takes to be added to our database, please shoot me an email with some info at nov8vb@yahoo.com