‘For moments like this’: Maize South volleyball senior conquers the pain for a title
There were times this summer when Laurel Jones, immobilized by crippling back pain, did not think she would be able to play her senior season for the Maize South volleyball team.
Volleyball is what she loves to do and Jones, a 6-foot-1 senior who is committed to one of the nation’s top programs in Marquette, has become one of the best high school setter prospects in the country. But her love for the sport has taken a toll on her body over recent years.
It began with a turf toe injury. Then it was a stress fracture in her foot. She’s dealt with constant shin splints. Most significantly, she tore a disc in her back that sidelined her for eight months — and she feared that she had re-injured it this summer, which led to Jones being shut down for the summer.
“I couldn’t move,” said Jones, who feared another eight-month recovery would be required. “It was very frustrating. It’s kind of like ever since I hurt my foot, it’s been one thing to the next. It seems like I’m always battling something.”
Jones attended weekly physical therapy sessions and spent hours at home doing her own stretches to strengthen her core and help alleviate pain in her back.
The countless hours of dedication to rehabilitation work allowed Jones to return to the court for Maize South and the senior has been a difference-maker for the Mavericks, which won a sub-state championship on Saturday with a 28-6 record and hosts Great Bend on Tuesday in the Class 5A quarterfinals.
“No one likes being hurt and I wanted to be able to help my team for moments like this,” said Jones after Maize South beat its rival, Maize, to win its third straight sub-state title. “The only way that was going to happen was if I got myself healthy.”
Jones didn’t want to jeopardize her college future, so she admitted she was nervous if she was going to be able to hold up during her final high school season. Injuries had prevented Jones from hitting the last two seasons for Maize South, but Jones felt good enough this season to do both — set and hit — for the Mavericks.
Jones didn’t miss one game this season, delivering an all-around superb season playing all six rotations for Maize South. When she wasn’t setting (team-best 5.8 assists), she was second on the team in kills (228) with a .307 hitting percentage and ranked second on the team in blocks with 57.
“Laurel is like another coach out on the floor for me,” said Maize South coach Teri Larson. “She’s so calm, even when things go crazy she gets them focused and always knows what I want. It’s almost like a little ESP or telepathy going on. We just look at each other and she knows. She really can do it all.”
That leadership has been invaluable for a Maize South team that relies on multiple underclassmen.
“She has been so helpful to me, especially coming in so young and playing so much,” said freshman Grace Morrow, who leads Maize South in kills with 237. “She’s always telling me where to be and always motivating me. She’s such a positive player for us to have out there on the court. When I see her compared to other schools, it makes me realize how fortunate we are to have someone like her.”
Jones has become an all-around force and tremendous senior leader at Maize South, but she earned her reputation as one of the nation’s top setters through her summers playing club volleyball with Shockwave. She has the physical attributes at 6-1 with good mobility and expert touch, but what sets Jones apart is how she reads the floor and situations to always know where to put the ball.
Shockwave coach Scott Larkin said Jones was a popular topic with opposing coaches after matches.
“We play in some pretty high-level tournaments against the best teams in the country and more often than not after we got done with a match, the coach would come over and say, ‘That No. 9 is pretty special,’” Larkin said. “We’re talking about her standing out at the highest level of volleyball, against girls that will be going to Nebraska and Texas and UCLA and Florida.”
Jones will soon be competing against the nation’s top college volleyball players, a challenge she is excited for, but Jones made it clear she wants to finish her high school career at Maize South with the best memory yet.
Maize South reached the state tournament the last two years, but failed to advance to the semifinals. The Mavericks can secure their best finish yet with a win on Tuesday, which would send them to the Class 5A semifinals in Salina on Friday.
“I’m going to miss her so much,” said Larson with tears dotting her eyes. “She’s like a daughter to me. I’ve seen her grow up the last four years. She’s such a good kid and it’s just a great feeling to know that she’s going to end her career like this. It’s a perfect ending to a high school career.”
This story was originally published October 27, 2020 at 6:00 AM.
.jpg)