Jennifer Olansen '22 Recruiting Profile

I live in Virginia Beach, Virginia, with my parents, two brothers, a sister, a dog and two cats. Everyone in the house is an athlete (the humans, not the pets). My dad played soccer at Old Dominion University, and my mom played tennis there too. My brothers both play soccer and basketball, and my sister is a dancer. She’s not just a dancer, she’s a crazy-good dancer. We’re not sure where she gets it from; my dad thinks it’s him, but there’s no way. I’ve seen him dance and it’s not pretty.

In our house, hard work is expected. My parents are both professionals, and there’s one rule when it comes to academics, athletics, and life in general. Anything but your best effort is unacceptable. Winning a volleyball match, soccer game or dance competition isn’t all that important, and neither is getting straight A’s in school. What’s important is that we always try our best to win, that we always try our best to get an A. As my dad likes to say, “The output is not relevant, what matters is the input.” In other words, as long as you give everything you have, the outcome will take care of itself. I try and bring that attitude to everything I do. I’m not always successful, but I’m determined that it won’t be for lack of effort.

Of course, I love playing volleyball. Why else would I be writing this. My path to volleyball, however, is different than most. From the age of 5 until 13 years old, I was a competitive gymnast. I was training 25+ hours per week and competing as a “level 9” gymnast all over the US in cities like Las Vegas, Savannah, Orlando, Baton Rouge, NYC, Philadelphia and DC. Unfortunately (or fortunately for volleyball), I started to grow. In less than a year, between ages 12 and 13, I grew from 5’ to 5’ 8”, and I’m not quite sure I’ve stopped. As you have probably noticed, there are few gymnasts that height. So, what does a girl do when she suddenly finds herself to tall for double back flips? She signs up for volleyball of course.

To be honest, I wasn't very good at first. Never having played a team sport before, it was difficult to acclimate to group tactics and dynamics. But, thanks to some great teammates and coaches at Coastal Virginia VBC and First Colonial High School, I’ve been able to progress rapidly. I think it’s fair to say I have exceeded all expectations (except my own). Training is fun, and difficult sessions are my favorite; being worn out provides a great sense of accomplishment. I especially enjoy the tight, difficult matches, when the pressure is on and every point counts. Perhaps the enjoyment of those difficult situations comes from my experience as a gymnast. I really don’t know, but those matches are fun, that’s for sure. I’m looking forward to many more.