Jessica Yingling Has High Hopes for Stretch Run of Senior Season

Senior Jessica Yingling has been a catalyst to the Spartan volleyball success over the last four years. She believes they can make a championship run in the NCAA tournament this season. In 2010, her sophomore season, the then #3 ranked Spartans were runners-up to
No. 1 Concordia-St. Paul in a tightly contested match for the national title.

Yingling has won three straight Sunshine State Conference and South Regional Championships during her tenure at Tampa. She was a part of the Spartans national quarterfinals appearance as a freshman in 2009, as well as a national semi-finalist last season. Tampa is currently 23-3 this season, not to mention a perfect 12-0 in the SSC.

Given the experience of Yingling and the Spartans, they are more than capable of achieving greatness this year. The Orlando, Fla., native is optimistic to win the programs second national title to complete her collegiate career. Yingling believes the hard work the team puts in everyday at practice, along with their heart and desire will lead to a championship.

She is no stranger to success after setting high school records for single season kills as a senior and is the all-time career kill leader. Yingling was named Florida Gatorade Player of the Year and led her team to a state championship before graduating to attend UT.

The winning history of head coach Chris Catanach first attracted the Timber Creek High School graduate to play volleyball for the University of Tampa. Yingling is the oldest of her siblings and found UT to be the perfect fit because it was also close to home. She has always wanted to be a part of a national championship contender and felt the Spartans offered her the best opportunity to compete for the glory every year.

The coaching staff plays a major role in the development of the team both on and off the court. They see the game better from the technical side in the film room and push the players to be their best on game days. Yingling believes that coach Catanach has brought out her full potential during her four years as a Spartan. She has grown since freshman year as a player and developed into a leader on the court.

The most memorable game the outside hitter recalls was in the 2010 regional tournament against West Florida. Tampa trailed by as many as 5 points in the first set before mounting a comeback to even the set at 21. They would go on to take the set 27-25 and the match 3-1 over the Argonauts. Yingling credits an early timeout by coach Catanach for their successful perseverance to pull out the victory.

During the summer of 2010, Yingling traveled with the Spartans to compete in Europe. The experience gave them confidence in each other prior to the fall season, which further developed their team chemistry. Under the leadership of former Spartans Kaleigh Cunningham and Melissa Vanderhall, it was no surprise to see their magical run to nationals. Traveling overseas was a memorable moment for Yingling to see the European culture and history.

Yingling loves pressure situations and always tries to make a big play throughout each match. She believes the team feeds off the energy of the crowd, which gets them pumped up to perform their best. At home games, they play loud music in the locker room to loosen up and prepare, and on the road the team watches movies to relax. She feels the Spartans are capable of having fun off the court, while maintaining their focus during matches.

The humble senior has a powerful jump serve that disrupts the opposition, leading to many service aces. Yingling is an all-around team player for the Spartans and currently ranks first overall in career reception percentage at .972. She led the SSC in service aces as a freshman and was named to the NCAA South Regional all-tournament team as a sophomore.

Yingling was encouraged by her mother to play sports in high school and was fascinated by volleyball. Her father was an all-star athlete in high school and has pushed her to improve to be the best. She believes the move from Idaho to Florida created an opportunity for success in volleyball. Yingling has made her parents proud given the success of the last eight years at Timber Creek and UT.

The future aspirations for the senior include working for ESPN doing statistics for baseball or basketball. She is currently a math major and has always been intrigued by percentages. Yingling also dreams of competing for the 2016 summer Olympics in Rio. She has talked with teammate Holly Reschke about winning the gold like Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh.

Yingling has grown close to Reschke and Danielle Selkridge during her career. They are able to push each other on the court and are constantly talking about ways to improve after practices. With a talented squad full of depth, the Spartans give each other feedback on a daily basis to bring out the best in one another.

While the team appears to be set for success in the coming years, Yingling is confident in their ability to win a national championship in Pensacola, Fla., next month. She looks to conclude a magnificent career by leading the Spartans to glory once again. The future remains to be seen but regardless of how far the team advances this season, Jessica Yingling will be remembered in Tampa history as a superstar on the volleyball court.

Written by Brandon Stower