Barnes ready for college volleyball

Since she was 12, Jalisa Barnes had the drive and focus to be an excellent volleyball player — and now, the senior outside hitter for the East Rockaway Lady Rocks will take her game to the next level.

Barnes was accepted to the University of Pittsburgh and will play Division I volleyball for the Panthers in January. It is the first time in 20 years that an athlete from East Rockaway High School will play any sport at a Division I college.

"It's indescribable," Barnes said of playing Division I volleyball, a dream she's had since she first stepped on a court. "I visited the campus and I was blown away. I always wanted to go to a big sports school. It felt like home."

Barnes, 17, moved to East Rockaway from Decatur, Ill. in ninth grade, and started playing on travel teams when she was 13. After experiencing immediate success among volleyball players in her age group, Barnes accepted an invitation to play on a Hofstra University travel team when she was 16. The team, the Monarchs , was compiled mostly of 18 year olds. Barnes said she rode the bench for half the season, but it was an experience that inspired her to work even harder.

"That was definitely a big adjustment," Barnes said of riding the pine. "But I learned to step up and play. I felt my volleyball career skyrocketed from there."

To graduate from school by December, Barnes took a year's worth of social studies and English in four months. She took two periods of social studies during the day, she said, and took an extra English class after school. Her days were long, starting school at 8 a.m. and not finishing with practice and her extra English class until after 6 p.m. But Barnes was ready for the workload, and she loves challenges. "I just felt like I was ready to pursue collegiate volleyball," she said. "I thought I can do it. I'm prepared to move on."

As captain of the Lady Rocks volleyball team, Barnes led her team to a 11-4 record and a 2009 Class C Nassau County Championship.

After participating in volleyball camps all around the country — Tennessee, Alabama and Pennsylvania —Barnes said she tried out for the USA High Performance Olympic volleyball team, an under 18 team, when she was 16. She didn't make it, but it motivated her to try that much harder. "A girl I met at the tryouts gave me some advice on how to improve my vertical," she said. "It was definitely a learning experience."

Barnes admitted that her coach on the Monarchs, April Mosca, inspired her to be a better athlete. Mosca told Barnes she would have a bright future if she could harness her talent. "She told me that I have the potential, I just needed to learn how to use it," Barnes said. "She gave me a chance."

Barnes said that she is not looking for a professional career in volleyball, and hopes to graduate college with a degree in International Business.

Comments about this article? ABottan@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 246.