The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Q&A with Alyson Jennings
09.29.2006 | Volleyball
Junior libero and California native, Alyson Jennings, is a strong force to be reckoned with in the Texas volleyball team's back court. Nicknamed "Lady in Black" for her all black attire she sports as the team's libero, Jennings was named the team's 2005 Most Valuable Player, and ranks among the top defenders in the Big 12. Back for her third season, Jennings recently took some time out to talk about her summer, her hometown and life at The University of Texas.
How did you spend your summer? I went to Europe on a cruise throughout the Mediterranean with my mom and my sister. We went to Florence, Greece and Croatia, but I think Rome and the islands in Greece were probably the coolest places we went. I would love to go back. We had so much fun. After our trip I came back to Austin to work out with my teammates, and then I was able to go back home to California for three weeks.
Why did you choose the University of Texas over a school in California? People say that volleyball is huge in California, and it is, but as far as the support goes, you don't see nearly as many fans at games. Not only that, if you come to visit here, I don't know how you couldn't choose it. I love the team, the coaches and the whole atmosphere here at UT. I think I made a really good choice.
What has been your best moment at UT when it comes to volleyball? I think one of the best was the first time we played at Texas A&M. It's so much fun, and I get so fired up to play there. I also think another best moment was when we beat Nebraska here at home.
When life at UT is over, what do you see yourself doing? I could see myself living in Austin. It's really expensive to move back home, but if I could, that would be awesome too. I'm looking to go into advertising, so I'll probably go anywhere I can find a good job.
If you could play another sport at UT, what would you play? If I had to choose another sport I think I would play golf. It seems pretty mellow and it would be a completely different vibe. If I were a guy, I would play football.
When you find time, what do you do for fun in the city? I like to go to different restaurants here in Austin. People always say there's so much to do here, so I try to change it up and go to as many different places as possible. I also love going to the lake. It's the closest thing we have here to the ocean, so it's always really fun.
Talk a little about the relationships you have with your teammates. It's awesome because since I've been in Texas, they're my best friends here. It's cool because we all get along really well, and I don't think that happens for a lot of teams. It's fun because we'll go out or go to dinner together, and it's not just a volleyball thing.
What do you miss most about your hometown? I miss my family and the beach. My little sister is there, so it's tough to miss out on a lot of stuff, but I talk to her everyday. I have the best group of friends at home too, so it's always fun when we get back together.
What's on your iPod? I've turned into a big country fan. I also really like Dave Barnes, so I was listening to that pretty much nonstop on our last trip.
If you could take a vacation anywhere, where would you go? I would go somewhere tropical, like Australia or Fiji.
