- April 25, 2024
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When Jaelyn Lawrence shows up to volleyball practice at Matanzas High School, the senior outside hitter is usually one of the first players to arrive.
“[Lawrence] is always doing what she needs to do, always asking what she needs to finish off with, always asking what she can do to get better,” Pirates volleyball coach Julie Menendez said. “So to me, that shows that even though she’s a senior, she’s always looking to improve herself.”
On the night of Tuesday, Aug. 29, Matanzas celebrated a win in the season’s home opener, taking down Calvary Christian in straight sets.
Lawrence was a force on both offense and defense, slamming down four kills and a service ace while tallying a team-high 15 digs. And during a close contest in the second set, the 17-year-old sprang into the air and delivered a hard blow on the back of the ball for the set point.
Tuesday’s performance was a testament to how Lawrence wants the rest of the season to follow.
“I want to have a really good winning year,” she said. “To say the least, I just want to have a good final season.”
Lawrence arrived at Matanzas at the start of the 2016 season a transfer from rival Flagler Palm Coast High School where she was a two-year starter on the Bulldogs’ volleyball team.
She didn’t really want to talk about why she left but noted she feels happy to call herself a Pirate.
“I think it was a better opportunity for me,” she said. “I’ll leave it at that.”
Last season, Lawrence was part of a team that featured six seniors. Now, there’s only two. But despite the overwhelmingly young roster, Menendez feels that Lawrence is more than capable of embracing a leadership role.
“She gets the best out of people around her,” Menendez said. “She knows how to look at each person as an individual instead of treating everybody the same. … She’s extremely selfless. It’s all about the other players on the court.”
