PHOTO COURTESY UTRGV ATHLETICS
Psychology senior Jackie Kingsbury is an outside hitter for the UTRGV Volleyball Team. She began her collegiate athletic career during the 2017 season. Kingsbury had her career-high of 9 digs at the UTRGV vs. Radford game Aug. 30, 2019. During her 2019 season, she was named team tri-captain.
Q: What is your favorite part of volleyball?
A: “I like the fact that I get to meet people from different cultures and from different parts of the world. I think my second favorite thing is, like, [the] big team wins.”
Q: When and how did you start playing volleyball?
A: “I think I was 8, and I started playing with my mom’s police department team. She would play against the fire department at the Boys and Girls Club, and then I got interested in that.”
Q: How do you think volleyball has bettered you?
A: “I think volleyball, just like other sports, betters you in ways that help you in life later, like communication skills, leadership skills [and] things like that. So, it helps you sharpen up on things, that at that moment, you don’t really know that you’re working [on]. Then, later on, I noticed myself being a better team player or group member and like school projects and things like that.”
Q: What are your favorite ways to prepare for a game?
A: “I like to take a shower before every game. I like to braid my hair, and then when I get to the gym, I like to socialize with everyone. … Just kind of be a social butterfly. Then later, towards game time, I like to just sit in the locker room and just be by myself. Then our coach comes in prior to the game and gives us like, notes on what the other team likes to do and things like that, so we study that for a little bit.”
Q: What do you plan to do after graduation?
A: “I would hope to get my masters, but if I didn’t, I would like to join the FBI or do something in the federal area of law enforcement.”
Q: What is your favorite holiday, and why?
A: “Thanksgiving and then Christmas. Thanksgiving because of the food, and Christmas because of the food.”
Q: If you had to be any animal, what would it be and why?
A: “If I had to choose one, I would want to be a lion. But I am in love with baby goats, so I’d probably be, like, a baby goat. … You just have to look up like baby goat videos, and you’ll just know [why I want to be one] right away.
—Compiled by Karina Rodriguez
