According to the NCAA, less than two percent of collegiate athletes are able to circumvent the dreaded day job and move on to play professional sports.
Most athletes grind out their four years of eligibility and never get to experience the glory of playing under the lights at a competitive level ever again. Such was the case for the No. 8 female pickleball player in the world, Allyce Jones.
Allyce was recruited out of high school to play Division 1 volleyball. Although 5’2 and much shorter than most collegiate volleyball setters, Allyce made up for her size in raw talent, determination, and grit. At a young age, her father had told her, “You are smaller than everyone else, so you are going to have to work twice as hard.” With the odds of getting playing time against her because of her stature, she showed up with a champion mindset, believing she could beat the odds.
Recognizing that Allyce could defend powerful spikes, her coaches quickly moved her from setter into the “defensive specialist role,” where she racked up multiple accolades as the Western Athletic Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year, Utah Valley University’s Female Athlete of the Year, and UVU Crowd Pleaser of the Year. Both spirited and gifted, big crowds taunting…
