Volleyball Player of the Year: Showman makes most of height
By Jeff Sentell
Put Jessica Showman behind a volleyball net in a competitive environment, and two things become readily apparent.
The first thing any spectator would notice is that the net seems almost feeble next to the 6-foot-1 Showman. The Northern Virginia Daily's 2003 Volleyball Player of the Year routinely cleared the net with both elbows on her kill and block attempts this season.
"It's not like I am trying to see how high I can get," Showman said. "It's just what comes natural. That's part of the way I play. I'm just trying to jump to meet the ball, honestly."
The second thing is there wasn't anything a coach would ask of a player that Showman couldn't do.
"I really try to be a complete player," Showman said. "Who wouldn't, really? I try to build on my abilities and work to be the best player I can be. I'm lucky because I can do some more things in volleyball because of how tall I am."
Those who saw her every day this season know there's more to it than that.
"She's a really good hitter and an above-average passer," Stonewall Jackson coach Keith Cubbage said. "When I say that, I mean in the context of the best high school players at this level. Name any skill that's a part of the game, and she does it at a very high level. She may not be the best around at that skill, but she is pretty close to the top in every category. Jessica just has the whole package, and it all fit together pretty well on the volleyball court this season."
Indeed, Showman's play this year was a show well worth the admission fee.
"We had a really strong team this year," Stonewall Jackson senior Shana Ryman said. "But Jessica just takes our team from one of the better teams in the state to one of the best."
Her teammates all understood the impact her talents could have on any game. They formed a team around those strengths and advanced to the state Group A semifinals behind the unanimous Region B player of the year.
"I look to her when we need to get things going," Stonewall senior Katie Tusing said. "She was our ultimate momentum changer. When we needed something, I'd send the ball her way."
Cubbage said he never saw a more intimidating blocker than Showman this season. That's the senior's sharpest skill in a top-of-the-line skill-set that seems bound for the collegiate ranks. She could be playing in the Colonial Athletic Association next year.
"There was nobody who could block like Jessica," Cubbage said. "I'd tell you if there was anybody close so I wouldn't sound so cocky when it comes to her."
It must be hard not to. Showman's 413 blocks this season set a new Stonewall volleyball record. The Generals track two sorts of blocks. One variation of the block is a stuff block. That's where the ball was sent straight to the floor of the side where it came from.
Showman had 157 of those "stuff blocks." She broke the school record held by Sara Weaver and Jill Turner on her stuff blocks alone.
Showman's next-best asset was her hitting strength. The senior middle hitter had 323 kills in a season where nearly half of her total attacks resulted in a kill.
No area player hit the ball as hard as Showman, and yet she had just 89 hitting errors in 748 total attempts.
"I have been on the other side of the net in practice against her," Ryman said. "When she's hitting the ball hard, I would rather face any other spiker in our district besides Jessica."
But those numbers are merely the expectations for an athletic 6-foot-1 presence at the net. What truly sets Showman apart is everything else in her game. She never left the floor because her defense, serving, sets and passing were all well above average for a high school volleyball player.
"Look at her digs category," Cubbage said. "She's 6-foot-1, and she's had 195 good digs this season in 215 tries. That's 91 percent in what is supposed to be one of her weaker skills. That's say a whole lot about a player when 91 percent is the weak area."
Cubbage told the officials working the state quarterfinals about her setting prowess and caught them awed by Showman's setting ability in warm-ups.
"They looked at her like she was unreal," Cubbage said. "Jessica has great hands, and they allow her to do things on the court that most kids who are 5-foot-5 or 5-foot-6 should be doing."
Showman's dedication stood out as she made her greatest strides, along with the rest of the Generals, during her senior year. Serving was a weak spot. The senior improved her serving percentage almost 10 percentage points this season.
"I think that really goes unnoticed about Jessica," Cubbage said. "She does the things someone with her size and ability should be capable of doing, but the two things not many people pick up on is her understanding of the game, the little things she picks up on, and her focus. Here was a player who had all this ability and height, and she topped it off with a great work ethic and knowledge of the game. When you've got all that, you've got a complete player like Jessica Showman."
R Contact Jeff Sentell at jsentell@nvdaily.com
JESSICASHOWMAN
î School: Stonewall Jackson
î Position: Middle hitter
î Stellar stat: Showman set school records with many of her totals this year, including her 323 kills and 413 blocks.
î Superstition: Showman and teammate Shana Ryman made a habit of wearing their lucky black Nike socks in every game this year.
î Favorite athlete: "I don't really have one," Showman said. "There's not really anybody who I single out. I don't know, really."
