Jenkins looks forward to the pass
As the volleyball goes into the air, Cierra Jenkins tunes out everyone but her teammates.
Being a setter for one of the South’s most prestigious clubs, Orlando/ Tampa Volleyball Academy, brings a lot her way in the form of expectations, pressure and potential distractions.
But when the ball arrives, Jenkins is focused on only one thing: setting up her teammates with a precisely placed feed.
“I have to stay calm because if I get hectic then usually the set will usually turn out bad,” Jenkins said. “For me, it's just staying focused on the game and not who's watching like colleges or my coach either yelling at me or anyone on the team. I just like to help everyone out, but keeping myself contained as a player will help me give them better sets."
Her razor-sharp focus, leadership and competitive drive have turned Jenkins into one of the top prep volleyball players in Orlando. Jenkins, a standout at Lake Highland Prep last fall, helped OTVA’s 15 South Rox Red team — composed mostly of players coming off their freshman seasons of varsity play for area high schools — to a 65-0 record against competition in its age division this season before they suffered a loss on Monday at the USA Volleyball Junior National Championships in Minneapolis.
Her top-seeded team went 2-1 on the opening day of that tournament, losing to Dynasty 15 Black of Hawaii 26-24, 29-27. OTVA remains in championship contention out of a pool where every team lost at least once Monday.
Jenkins was named the AAU Girls’ Junior National Volleyball tournament MVP in the 15 Open division, a feat she also accomplished in the 14 Open Division in 2016.
Jenkins’ first AAU MVP performance opened her eyes to endless possibilities volleyball could bring.
“I think that was a big shocker for me because our team has phenomenal players all the way around,” she said. “So knowing that I got MVP was, ‘Wow, I could do this as my future, go to college for this.’ I think that was my moment last year."
She’s been in the heart of OTVA’s dominance, consistently setting up her teammates for kill shots that terminate points.
“I believe one of the main reasons that this team has been successful for the past three years is because of the way she's been able to play the game,” OTVA coach Carmelo Eleutiza said.
Powerhouse college programs including Florida, Stanford and Penn State are recruiting the 15-year-old. She will be attending Stanford’s setter camp later this summer.
Her natural leadership ability made her an easy choice to be named one of two captains on the squad.
“You're working with 15-year-olds so there's going to be drama, there's going to be jealousy, and she always tries to be fair and to keep her teammates on the same page,” Eleutiza said.
The coach tells his team that others are working harder, and that fuels Jenkins’ competitive drive.
“I take that into myself and say I'm going to work harder than anyone else,” she said.