Fayetteville’s Jaeger Reaches a Level No Other Texas Volleyball Player Has

Fayetteville senior volleyball player Brooklyn Jaeger brings phenomenal power to her kill shot and the stats have shown it. In a recent match vs. Mumford last Friday, Jaeger recorded her 3,000th kill of her career. She is believed to be the first Texas High School player ever to accomplish the feat.

She’s been the obvious anchor for the Lady Lions and is verbally committed to play volleyball at Texas A&M University- Corpus Christi.

“It’s been a fun ride,” said Fayetteville head volleyball coach Clint Jaeger, who is also the father of Brooklyn. “Hopefully we have a lot more games in our ride this year. She’s a coach on the court and she does a lot of my job, so it makes my job really easy. With her being my daughter, too, it’s just great to see her succeed and become a leader. Words can’t describe it.” Jaeger’s history-making accomplishment has given her the nod for this edition’s Athlete of the Week.

Question: What was your reaction when you found out you recorded your 3,000th kill?

Answer: “I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it even though it’s a pretty big accomplishment. I was really happy and surprised I got it that night. I was working really hard last Friday trying to get it. I wanted to get it over with so I don’t have to worry about it anymore. The whole night, I was just ecstatic. I was so happy.”

Question: What’s been the most rewarding part about your volleyball career?

Answer: “Making new friends and family. Even out of high school, you meet so many new girls. You have to form a good relationship with them in order to succeed. Some of them have become part of my family, my sisters, so that has been the most rewarding part.”

Question: How did you get into volleyball?

Answer: “When I was real little, he (my dad) was the coach for a couple years, then he stopped coaching. Even when he was coaching when I was little, I would always go up to the gym with him and I would just practice serving. I tried to mimic all the girls because I thought it was the cool thing, then I eventually just started to love it.”

Question: You’re verbally committed to Texas A&MCorpus Christi for volleyball, what kind of adjustments do you think you’ll have to make at the college level?

Answer: “Usually in college, they’re more skilled and advanced and they have more experience from playing club, also. Every single girl does, so my hitting, I’ll have to make some adjustments. Also, just hitting shots more instead of just swinging, hammering away.”

Question: Where do you see yourself after college?

Answer: “I would like to go into physical therapy and maybe on the side, coach club teams so I can still be around in the gym.”

Question: What’s it like playing for your dad?

Answer: “I love it because we can work together. Even at home, we can talk about game plans and volleyball knowledge. Also, when I get in my little slump or get in my head, he knows what to do to calm me down and get me back on track.”

Question: Who’s an athlete you look up to?

Answer: “Probably Logan Eggleston from UT (University of Texas). She’s an outside hitter. She’s freakishly good and she played for USA during the summer. She’s amazing.”

Question: How do you prepare for a match?

Answer: “I usually have to take a nap before. I just watch a lot of film and I try to get myself and my adrenaline going because that’s when I do my best.”

Question: What’s the best word of advice you’ve received?

Answer: “Play smarter, not harder. I used to always think in order to be great, you have to just be the one who hit the ball the hardest, but it’s also hitting shots and knowing where you are on the court. Playing as a team player because if you think too much, you’re gonna get in the way of everybody, then it just collides.”

Question: What are you going to miss the most about Fayetteville High School when you go to college?

Answer: “How close you are with everybody and how well you know everybody. I know a lot of kids in elementary and some of those are my biggest supporters. It motivates me. But when you go to college, you don’t know everybody, so you kind of have to motivate yourself a lot.” Jaeger’s volleyball career at Fayetteville will go down as one of the greatest ever.