ELE VATING THEIR G AME Jessica Acuña
NEVADA JUNIORS VOLLEYBALL CLUB CLUB DIRECTOR AND COACH OF 17U TEAM
detail and a fierce competitive spirit drive Jessica Acuña, coach and director of Nevada Juniors Volleyball Club, the oldest junior volleyball club in the state. Mentored by club president and co-founder Bob Kelly, Acuña took up the sport in the eighth grade and immediately loved the pace, finesse, and strength required. She played under Kelly at Durango High School, where she lettered for three years on a team that won the 2002 state championship, continued to work with him in Nevada Juniors, and went on to play for Saint Mary’s College of California. Now when she designs practices for her 17-and-under team, she recalls the discipline and structure Kelly instilled in her. “Everything you did, you did the right way — being on time, warming up, how you approached your drills.” She espouses Gold Medal Squared, a philosophy of how to teach the game, and structures practices to create the most game-like reps, insisting, “You’ve got to train ugly!” Asking a lot of questions develops the girls’ volleyball IQ. What did you see? Why did she tip the ball that way? Why did that player on the opposing side do that? Observing key indicators quickens decision-making. The ultimate goal for many players is to play college volleyball. “Yes, that’s scholarship money on the line,” Acuña says. “I get it, but for me, I want them to walk away with life lessons that are going to carry over into their lives well beyond their volleyball careers.” “I adore her,” says Makenzi Abelman, who played under Acuña at Nevada Juniors for four years and who now plays at Cal State Fullerton on a scholarship. Acuña’s communication, consistency, and formality set her apart, Abelman says. “I learned to separate what’s going on personally and not let that affect me on the court,” she says. Acuña says new UNLV volleyball coach Dawn Sullivan and her staff have pushed enthusiasm for the sport to a new level, reaching out to younger athletes and sparking connections with the local volleyball community. “Youth volleyball has grown tremendously,” Acuña says. “What’s happened with the UNLV coaches and the investment of other programs in town, you’re starting to see Vegas really elevate its game.”
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I want them to walk away with life lessons that are going to carry over into their lives well beyond their volleyball careers.
D E S E R T C O M P A N I O N .V E G A S