Lasting Relationships Mean Most For Jones
December 03, 2017 | Volleyball
By Kimberlie Haner
SEATTLE - After four years as a Husky, Crissy Jones has wrapped up her indoor volleyball career. While playing almost every position on the court, she has built life-long relationships and has grown to be her best self.
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Jones was born in Long Beach, California into a basketball family. Both of her parents played in college, her mom at Boise State and her dad at Cal State Fullerton. Her two brothers also played basketball growing up. However, she did not share that same passion with her family.
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Before landing on volleyball, Jones tried out a lot of different activities. She did ice staking, dance, ballet and swimming. It wasn't until one day after swim practice when she was 9-years-old that she learned what volleyball was.
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"I heard some balls bouncing in the gym," Jones said. "We walked by and noticed it was volleyball. There were other tall people and I'm tall, so it seemed like my scene. I went in and they said I could come practice. I was terrible at first, but I loved it. I stuck with it from there."
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For Jones, she dreamed of playing in the Pac-12. Originally, she was hoping to stay close to home, to the warm weather and to the beach. Not only was Jones looking to pursue an indoor career, but she also wanted to continue playing beach volleyball in college. Though Washington was the first to send her a recruiting letter, it did not look like Seattle was the place for Jones at first.
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"When I came here for my first visit, I was not about it," Jones said. "It was cold and it was raining. I missed my sunny beaches."
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Despite her unpleasant experience, Jones did not rule out Washington. After seeing some of her club teammates commit to the Huskies, she took a step back to reconsider her options. Jones played club volleyball for Tstreet with current UW teammates Bailey Tanner and Tia Scambray, who both committed to Washington before Jones. Their decision made her think a bit more about what she wanted out of a school.
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"A bunch of Tstreet girls were filtering into this school, so I realized there must be something cool about it," Jones said. "I had to prioritize what was important to me. Maybe the weather wasn't the best and it was a decent trek from home, but with the way people made me feel, the coaching staff, the environment and the people, I knew I was going to be cared about and taken care of as part of a family."
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Having friends from back home as fellow Huskies has been an incredible experience for Jones.
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"It has been amazing playing with them," Jones said. "It helped the transition from club to this environment where it is stressful and it is far from home. Having my best friends around me has been a great support system. It has meant a lot to me."
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When Jones first arrived to Seattle in 2014 for her freshman season, she was stressed. Between the higher level of volleyball and the demand of a great education, she felt overwhelmed.
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"I was very, very stressed my first season," Jones said. "I was never stressed out for games in high school. Then coming here and having to play a D-I sport at the highest level was very stressful."
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There was one particularly difficult stretch for Jones. There were three home games where she was set about three balls each game. Every attempt got stuffed straight down and she was subbed out immediately each time.
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"I thought I wasn't good anymore," Jones said. "Keegan even called to check on me because he knew I was obviously upset. It was a very stressful time, but I kept going and it worked out."
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Washington head coach Keegan Cook has been extremely influential in Jones life. When she was recruited, Jim McLaughlin was the head coach. However, after he abruptly left, she had to think about how much of her decision was based strictly on the coach or how much was based on the program. In the end, she realized that Cook could help her with much more than volleyball.
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"I had to think about what value this program has and what is important to me," Jones said. "Keegan is amazing. I've never had a coach who cared about people and growth so much. I knew that if I stayed here, I would grow so much as a person and a volleyball player. I think that was a big moment for me to decide what really matters. Am I here to play volleyball or am I here to grow? I knew the wins were going to come regardless of whether Jim was here or not."
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The admiration is mutual between Jones and Cook. The head coach especially admires her willingness to do whatever is needed for the team and her enthusiasm for both volleyball and life.
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"I think I've asked Crissy to have just about every role possible on this team over the course of her career," Cook said. "I will always remember her enthusiasm, the willingness to be coached, and the sincere effort to do what the team needs at any moment. She finds the joy in the game wherever it can be found, and she plays hard in all conditions."
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Over her career at Washington, Jones has played every position aside from libero and setter. She proved her versatility by playing anywhere in the front row and even playing all the way around when needed.
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During her junior season in 2016, she felt like she really upped her game. It was her first time at UW playing all six rotations and she loved it. Additionally, the team won the Pac-12 title and advanced to the Elite Eight. Overall, she says her junior year was her best.
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"I got to play all the way around, which was awesome because I love to play back row probably more than I love to play front row," Jones said. "It was such a great time. We were locked in and super healthy for the most part. It was a great time."
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Heading into this final season, Jones had a lot of high expectations, both from herself and from others.
However, she got off to a rocky start when she hurt her ankle the day before the home opener.
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"My injury was devastating," Jones said. "Missing all those games. And that is a time when you're getting comfortable, so that was rough. Not being able to compete with my team was heartbreaking for me."
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Jones' comeback was not easy. This was the worst injury of her career. She had to tell herself to stop feeling sad and get back on the court. It was easier said than done, partially because of the added pressure of being an All-American, a captain and a senior.
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"People expect me to just be fine all of the time," Jones said. "Most of the time, we are not fine. That's a side of sports people don't see. I had to let go of the fact that right now my focus is not to be an All-American again. It was a humbling and freeing experience because I had to sit there and realize being an All-American wasn't in the cards anymore. That was a huge individual goal of mine, but I realized I had done it. I didn't have to prove it to anyone. This is a team sport and this is about the team."
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Another key part of this season for Jones was being named a captain. She has taken this role seriously and has grown from this responsibility. To her, being a leader is more than doing the coin flip and calling team meetings.
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"Just to know that my teammates voted for me to be a leader meant the world to me," Jones said. "The most important thing to me in this sport is the relationships I have with the people around me. Being a leader means investing and caring about the people around you. Something I've been focused on is how can I help them when they are going through tough times on and off the court? How can I keep people focused on the goal? There are a lot of challenges that go along with it, but it is great and helps me a lot."
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Off the court, Jones has many fond memories. The Huskies have had many successes on the court, but one of her favorite things to do with the team is just to be on the bus.
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"Our bus rides are hilarious," Jones said. "We have so many games that we play and it's such a cool moment to be silly and vulnerable with your teammates."
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In June, Jones will graduate with a degree in psychology. She has aspirations to play both indoor and beach volleyball. She also would like to go to graduate school and get a master's degree in child psychology.
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"I love kids," Jones said. "I want to help people, so I thought that if I can help children with mental health needs, then that would be fantastic."
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When asked to reflect on her time at Washington, Jones' biggest lesson she has learned is to be present in the moment. She cites something that Cook says to the team a lot about how you can't wait for happiness, you have to make your own happiness where you are.
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"That lesson has helped me so much because I used to think like that," Jones said. "Once I'm an All-American, then I'll be happy. Once I have a national championship, then I'll feel validated and happy. But that's not what is important. It's about how I can invest in the people around me and build my own happiness in my situation."
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