- April 18, 2024
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It’s easy to think about the greatness of Shaquille O’Neal or Lisa Leslie, after they have become basketball world champions. Very little thought is given to their difficult childhoods, due to their height. Standing at 5 feet, 11 inches, the Matanzas middle hitter Jillian Bontempo had to endure similar problems.
“As a kid, I was often bothered by people’s remarks about my height,” Bontempo said. Because I was skinny as well, I was always teased.” To add to the insult of being mocked for her length, she was constantly bombarded with the typical questions that many tall persons have to answer.
“Do you play basketball or volleyball?” Now, a dominant volleyball player and a model, Bontempo has found ways to use her height to her advantage.
Jillian didn’t grow up playing volleyball; she’s only been involved with the game for four years. According to Bontempo, she often traveled to the beach with her father and his friend, and there they would teach her how to play. As she continued to get better, volleyball sparked her interest. In nearly every Matanzas match Bontempo leads the team in kills and blocks.
When she is not giving her opponents headaches on the court, Bontempo is either surfing or modeling. She is well-respected in the surfing world, finishing in the Top four in both, the long and short board at the Eastern Surfing Association Championships in Nags Head, N.C. The 16 year-old junior has been commanding waves for over six years with her father.
Though she has other interests, Bontempo loves the time that gets to spend with her volleyball teammates.
“I love every moment that we spend together,” she said. “Coach actually has to tell us to 'switch off,' because we can just laugh for hours at each other, if she doesn’t stop us.”
Bontempo says that she still gets funny stares from strangers because of her height, but it doesn’t bother her anymore.
“Nowadays, I don’t let their comments and looks get to me,” she said. “I just laugh it off.”
