By: Scott Nickerson
Elmore Autauga News
After excelling in basketball and volleyball while attending Prattville Christian Academy, Hannah Jones had a difficult decision to make. Holding more than 20 scholarship offers, Jones had to choose where she was going to spend the next four years of her life, and who she was going to play for. She also decided to focus on one sport. Ultimately, Jones decided to accept a scholarship offer to play volleyball at the University of Memphis.
“I enjoyed playing both sports and wanted to play as long as I could through high school. However, I knew at some point I had to make a choice and only wanted to play one sport in college, although some schools offered me to play both. My senior year became hectic with my academics, school sports, club sports and being recruited all at the same time. I have to say that has been one of the hardest decisions that I had to make.”
The opportunity to play both sports at the collegiate level was clear to many that saw Jones play, whether in volleyball or basketball.
In basketball, Jones was a vital member of the Panthers girls’ basketball team that won three consecutive AHSAA state championships. As a senior, the Panthers moved up from Class 3A to 4A. In their run to a championship, Jones was named Most Valuable Player of the Area Tournament, the Regional Tournament, and was named to the All Tournament Team of the State Finals. Jones was named All State 1st team in Class 4A, the All-Metro Player of the Year, and she was a finalist in the Alabama Sports Writers Association Girls 4A Player of the Year. She was also named PCA’s Most Valuable Player in 2021 and 2023, and the Most Outstanding Player in 2022. Winning the team MVP in 2021 was a memorable one for Jones. “My favorite memory as an athlete was being named Most Valuable Player during our 2021 basketball season. I think it was because I had absolutely no idea that I would even be considered. The reason that this moment was so memorable is that I really didn’t have much confidence in myself as a basketball player, however this proved to me and many others that I was capable of being a good basketball player. I took this opportunity and just started working and practicing even more.”
Jones’ list of honors in volleyball is just as long. She led the Panthers to the state championship as a senior and was named MVP of the Area Tournament and State Tournament. She was named Alabama High School Volleyball Coaches Association All State 1st team as a junior and senior. Jones was the 2022 All-Metro Volleyball Player of the Year, and she was named to the al.com Super All State Volleyball team, which includes teams from every school in the state, regardless of size or classification. Jones was also named to the North-South Volleyball All-Star Team in 2022.
And it’s not just athletic awards the senior was honored with during her career at PCA. Holding a 3.75 GPA, she is a member of the National Honor Society, Junior Civitan, Mu Alpha Theta, Key Club, and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She also won the PCA Christian Leadership Award in 2020 and was the FCA-YMCA Circle Nominee 2021-2023.
As a student, Jones favorite memory was being a part of the Servant Leadership Academy at PCA. “The purpose of the program was to help us become positive Christian leaders within our school and to carry it forward beyond Prattville Christian Academy. We met once a month and discussed principles and demonstrated leadership action, with different topics. We had guest speakers; therefore, we were exposed to different types of leadership traits. I learned so much about being a leader, which I attribute to some of my success as an athlete.”
As with many successful individuals, Jones had a great foundation at home to rely on. “My parents have always been my #1 supporters. They have taught me to always put God first in my life. They have stressed the importance of my academics first and then athletics. Being a student athlete has taught me how to work through adversity. I am a very strong and intense competitor and I love to win. However, I have had to deal with and process losing, with my parents’ guidance. I am so blessed to have parents that have sacrificed to make sure I attend all my various sports events and always remind me about the importance of maintaining my grades. I’m thankful for my parents’ love and constant reinforcement.”
The future Memphis Tiger is interested in majoring in Biomedical Engineering. Her goal on the Memphis volleyball team is to be the best teammate and player. “I want to be instrumental in Memphis being a successful volleyball program. I love to compete and win!”
Family, friends, and fans throughout the area, and state, have all witnessed that intense competitive drive during the last four years. Now it’s time Memphis and the rest of the college volleyball world gets to see it as well.
