Indiana University Athletics
Student Spotlight: Jazzmine McDonald
11/14/2016 10:28:00 AM | General, Women's Volleyball, Student-Athlete Services
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. Jazzmine McDonald's family turned everything into a competition.
Her father, Devon McDonald, played college football at Notre Dame and in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts and Arizona Cardinals, and his brother Ricardo played professionally for nine seasons as well. That competition between siblings passed down to Jazzmine and her sister, Rachel, who played every sport they could when they were growing up.
That elevated the everyday activities, like chores around the house, to a new level of intensity.
"Who could clean dishes the fastest? Who could get up the stairs the quickest?" Jazzmine described the competitive nature of the McDonald household. "It was always fun with my sister, my dad, and my mom being competitive as well."
McDonald's family spent many evenings and weekends at Cathedral High School in Indianapolis, where she was an All-State volleyball player. McDonald and her sister had a year-round involvement in athletics, and their father coached on the football team.
"If I had a game, or my sister had a game, everyone was there," Jazzmine said. "My father was coaching and we would all show up to support him. That was definitely a big thing growing up."
The support system McDonald has with her family weighed heavily on her college decision. She held offers from other programs, but McDonald said Indiana felt "like home" when she made her visit.
It was more than just the close proximity that drew McDonald to Indiana, however. While she was still in high school, another middle blocker became the first All-American in Indiana Volleyball history, Bloomington native Ashley Benson.
McDonald grew to idolize Benson while watching her play, but they never had the opportunity to take the court together. That made Benson's appointment as Indiana's volunteer assistant coach this season a special opportunity for McDonald.
"Getting the chance to work with her every single day is amazing," McDonald said. "She's helped me see different shots as a middle blocker. She had such great success being an All-American and did well in her time playing professionally overseas. She sees the game like no other middle I've known."
Benson is aware that McDonald came to Indiana partly due to the successes she had at Indiana, which included the Hoosiers' first Sweet 16 appearance in program history. Since they both play the same position, middle blocker, Benson has worked closely with McDonald to tailor her game, both physically and mentally.
"Jazzmine is a physical leader, she likes to show what she's capable of," Benson said. "She's working hard everyday in practice, and the girls start to realize that her hard work is paying off. It's similar to mine when I was playing, lead by example, do the work, and perform to your best ability in every practice and game."
So far it's working, because McDonald is dominating in her senior season. Her hitting percentage of .381 is currently the second-highest season mark in IU history.
The highest percentage? That belongs to Benson, who hit .408 in her senior season.
"When I left, I said that I wanted someone to break those records," said Benson, who set single-season and career marks for total blocks, block assists, and hitting percentage. "That's progress in the program, so I'm pushing her everyday in practice and talking to her during the games."
McDonald hopes to follow in Benson's footsteps and continue her playing career in Europe at the professional level. She got a taste of that experience last summer, as a player on the USA Volleyball College Team at the European Global Challenge Championship.
The team won the gold medal, and in the process McDonald's excitement grew about the prospect of playing abroad.
"It was amazing. If I could do it all over again, I would," McDonal said regarding last summer. "There were different styles of play, but it all seemed to mesh. Going over there and experiencing everything lit a fire, a spark to see where I could maybe go next year, or if that would be a possibility."
In the meantime, McDonald is dead set on playing to her utmost abilities for Indiana. The team has their sights set on the goal, make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010, when Benson led the Hoosiers to the Sweet 16.
"I want to leave that winning mentality," McDonald said of her legacy as a senior. "You look at Ashley Benson, who played the same position I play, and I think of her as a winner. She's a competitor, and I'd love to have a similar legacy to that."
Her father, Devon McDonald, played college football at Notre Dame and in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts and Arizona Cardinals, and his brother Ricardo played professionally for nine seasons as well. That competition between siblings passed down to Jazzmine and her sister, Rachel, who played every sport they could when they were growing up.
That elevated the everyday activities, like chores around the house, to a new level of intensity.
"Who could clean dishes the fastest? Who could get up the stairs the quickest?" Jazzmine described the competitive nature of the McDonald household. "It was always fun with my sister, my dad, and my mom being competitive as well."
McDonald's family spent many evenings and weekends at Cathedral High School in Indianapolis, where she was an All-State volleyball player. McDonald and her sister had a year-round involvement in athletics, and their father coached on the football team.
"If I had a game, or my sister had a game, everyone was there," Jazzmine said. "My father was coaching and we would all show up to support him. That was definitely a big thing growing up."
The support system McDonald has with her family weighed heavily on her college decision. She held offers from other programs, but McDonald said Indiana felt "like home" when she made her visit.
It was more than just the close proximity that drew McDonald to Indiana, however. While she was still in high school, another middle blocker became the first All-American in Indiana Volleyball history, Bloomington native Ashley Benson.
McDonald grew to idolize Benson while watching her play, but they never had the opportunity to take the court together. That made Benson's appointment as Indiana's volunteer assistant coach this season a special opportunity for McDonald.
"Getting the chance to work with her every single day is amazing," McDonald said. "She's helped me see different shots as a middle blocker. She had such great success being an All-American and did well in her time playing professionally overseas. She sees the game like no other middle I've known."
Benson is aware that McDonald came to Indiana partly due to the successes she had at Indiana, which included the Hoosiers' first Sweet 16 appearance in program history. Since they both play the same position, middle blocker, Benson has worked closely with McDonald to tailor her game, both physically and mentally.
"Jazzmine is a physical leader, she likes to show what she's capable of," Benson said. "She's working hard everyday in practice, and the girls start to realize that her hard work is paying off. It's similar to mine when I was playing, lead by example, do the work, and perform to your best ability in every practice and game."
So far it's working, because McDonald is dominating in her senior season. Her hitting percentage of .381 is currently the second-highest season mark in IU history.
The highest percentage? That belongs to Benson, who hit .408 in her senior season.
"When I left, I said that I wanted someone to break those records," said Benson, who set single-season and career marks for total blocks, block assists, and hitting percentage. "That's progress in the program, so I'm pushing her everyday in practice and talking to her during the games."
McDonald hopes to follow in Benson's footsteps and continue her playing career in Europe at the professional level. She got a taste of that experience last summer, as a player on the USA Volleyball College Team at the European Global Challenge Championship.
The team won the gold medal, and in the process McDonald's excitement grew about the prospect of playing abroad.
"It was amazing. If I could do it all over again, I would," McDonal said regarding last summer. "There were different styles of play, but it all seemed to mesh. Going over there and experiencing everything lit a fire, a spark to see where I could maybe go next year, or if that would be a possibility."
In the meantime, McDonald is dead set on playing to her utmost abilities for Indiana. The team has their sights set on the goal, make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010, when Benson led the Hoosiers to the Sweet 16.
"I want to leave that winning mentality," McDonald said of her legacy as a senior. "You look at Ashley Benson, who played the same position I play, and I think of her as a winner. She's a competitor, and I'd love to have a similar legacy to that."
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