By Bill Sheehan
It's time to celebrate the versatility and skills of Danielle Jefferies, a bona fide triple threat for the Cal State Fullerton women's volleyball team. The senior from Reedley, California, has played all three front-line positions for the Titans this season.
She began the season as an outside hitter, also known as a left-side hitter. Jefferies was moved to the right side during the non-conference season. Then during a Big West match against Long Beach State in late September, she made her debut as a middle blocker. Fullerton beat Long Beach in four sets.
"Our team had some injuries and ups and downs, and Coach [Nicole Vargas] Polster said, 'Today, we're going to have you play in the middle.' It was a little bit stressful and difficult at first, blocking and moving to both sides of the net. But It's front row and hitting, so I understood that part of it," said Jefferies. "I've learned to appreciate it because I have been able to improve, and I really enjoy the middle a lot now."
Jefferies, a starter, is second on the team in both kills (215) and blocks (37). She has nearly doubled her kills per set average from last year, raising it to 2.44. And she would like to notch a few more wins before hanging up her Titans jersey this month.
The Titans, who are 12-12 overall and 6-10 in conference play, have an opportunity to finish the season with a winning record. Their last four games are all at Titan Gym, starting with a 7 p.m. game tonight against UC Irvine. The remaining matches are Saturday (UC San Diego at 7 p.m.), Nov. 25 (UC Riverside at 5 p.m.) and Nov. 26 (UC Davis at 4 p.m.), which is Senior Day.
"This week in practice, the emphasis has been on being intentional and competitive. We want the players to be intentional in each drill and work at all the little things. Our seniors have a great opportunity to do something that hasn't been done in quite a few years – turning the program around and leaving it better than they found it," said Polster, the Titans second-year head coach.
The team finished 6-24 and was winless in the Big West in 2018, the year before Jefferies and her fellow four-year Titans arrived on campus. "Danielle wants to win and add to the team's success. She is the epitome of that," said Polster, who began as a Titans assistant coach in 2019.
'She's great at any position. Danielle came in as an outside hitter. This year, we moved her to the right-side, and she was killing it. Then because of a combination of injuries and changing circumstances, we moved her to middle blocker. She did it for the team."
The 5-foot-11 Jefferies is undersized for a middle blocker, who are often 6 feet or taller. But her tremendous leaping ability compensates for any height disadvantage, said Polster. Jefferies' vertical reach has been measured above 10 feet.
"I told Danielle, 'You can jump above people, so play above people.' She can hit over people when we get the beast mode out of her."
Jefferies isn't afraid to face taller opponents, said Liz Schuster, the Titans setter. "With her vertical leap, she hangs up there with the top middles. We have a smaller front line this year, so she's being fed the ball a lot more. Danielle is my go-to hitter when she's on the court."
"She may not be the loudest or out-there person, but her energy and aura bring us so much. Danielle is one of our clutch players. We all know we can count on her," said Schuster, a senior from Long Beach.
Jefferies was recruited from Immanuel High School in Reedley, a city of 25,000 in the San Joaquin Valley. She played in 14 matches as freshman, notching 51 kills. "I was figuring out how to navigate everything, and my confidence wasn't the best. But it was a great learning experience."
The following March, a week before the pandemic closures, Jefferies tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee in practice. "COVID shut down the 2020 season. I spent the whole year just focusing on school and recovering from my injury."
She bounced back her junior year, recording 51 kills, 18 digs and seven blocks while playing in 17 matches. "I was all healed, but I had to get over the anxiety and fear. I wanted to make sure I landed properly because I didn't want another ACL tear," said Jefferies, who started a handful of games that season.
Jefferies, who just turned 21, is enjoying her senior season. "It's been fun. Because it's my last year here, I'm trying to take advantage of every opportunity. My blocking still has room for improvement, but I'm hoping to see progress in the last four games."
Born and raised in Reedley, which is 20 miles southeast of Fresno, Jefferies began playing club volleyball in fourth grade at age 9. She was trained by her mother, Shannon, who was coaching at Reedley College at the time. Shannon played professional beach volleyball after competing indoors for the University of New Mexico.
Beginning to play volleyball at age 9, Danielle Jefferies competed for club teams and Immanuel High School in Reedley before joining the Cal State Fullerton squad.
"Danielle said she was going to take up her mom's sport. And later she said she wanted to play for a Division 1 school," said her father, Edmond, a retired forklift driver who continues to serve as pastor of the Ebenezer Apostolic Church in Madera. Edmond was also a collegiate athlete, playing basketball for one year at Fresno Pacific College and running track for two years at Fresno State.
Jefferies has three older brothers, Chris, Bryant and Eddie, and a younger one, Nathaniel. The older three played basketball. Nathaniel, who is taking a gap year, competed in prep cross country and basketball.
Edmond isn't surprised that his daughter has seamlessly handled the different positions on the volleyball front line. "She has a tender heart and cares about individuals. She's not one to complain. She's the type of individual who will do whatever is needed to help the team."
At Immanuel High, a Mennonite Brethren school, Jefferies was a four-year volleyball starter. She helped her team win two CIF Central Section Championships. Immanuel reached the State Championship game in her sophomore year. Jefferies earned Tri-County Sequoia League Second Team honors as a junior and was named team MVP as a senior.
"I was late taking part in the recruiting process," said Jefferies. "I had been considering some other schools when [then-Titans head coach Ashley Preston] contacted me after one of my tournaments in my senior year. On my recruiting trip, I liked the Fullerton coaching staff and program, and the girls were awesome. And it wasn't too far from home."
Polster traveled to Reedley to recruit Jefferies. "She was the first kid I went to see after becoming a Fullerton assistant coach. When I returned, I told Ashley, 'She doesn't know how good she is going to become.' "
Jefferies has contributed to the program on many levels, said Polster. "Her positive attitude is infectious. She is wonderful person – funny and smart. She can have a conversation with anyone on the team. We both like to read, so we bonded over books."
Schuster, the setter, roomed with Jefferies for three years. "Danielle is a great friend. She loves to read and talk about books. If you don't know her, she is quiet and stays to herself. If you know her, she is talkative and can be funny at the least expected time," she said.
"Danielle and I get flack for bellyflopping on digs. We throw our bodies on the floor. Our teammates laugh about it, but the ball comes up."
Jefferies enjoys traveling and has a growing interest in photography. She played the piano for eight years and hopes to resume tickling the ivories. She is expected to receive a business administration degree with a concentration in marketing this spring.
Working on senior projects has been a highlight, said Jefferies, who made the Dean's List last year. "I've been able to learn from people with real-world business experience. And working for clients in conjunction with the Small Business Institute program has taught me a lot. I've really benefitted by being exposed to different ideas and analytics."
"I would like to earn a master's degree, but I'm still weighing possible programs and colleges," said Jefferies, who is considering divinity studies. "I like the creative aspects of marketing. I'm very interested in a lot of different things but working for a church organization is high on my list."
She said she's had wonderful time attending Cal State Fullerton and living in Orange County but has missed the small-town charms of Reedley. "My dad is a pastor. I grew up in a faith-based environment, and I hope to continue that through my life too.
Jefferies' parents, Edmond and Shannon, both played collegiate sports. Shannon was a volleyball play at the University of New Mexico while Edmond competed in basketball and track and field at two Fresno-area universities.
Her family, who have watched Jefferies compete in Davis and Bakersfield as well as Fullerton, will travel south to see Jefferies' final two games, including Senior Day. "Her mom, brothers and I are proud of her and what she has accomplished," said her father.
Jefferies just filmed a video for Senior Day that will appear on Titans social media. "I thought wow, it's coming to a close. I'm about to be done. It's a little sad."
#TusksUp pic.twitter.com/jz1s0r4SwV
— Titans Volleyball (@Fullerton_WVB) November 18, 2022
Elizabeth Schuster feature story: https://fullertontitans.com/sports/w-volley/2021-22/releases/20211104pp59il
WATCH THE TITANS ON ESPN+
Titans fans can now watch every home event exclusively on ESPN+. Cal State Fullerton has built a top-tier production studio to give the viewers an ESPN quality production for all games at Titan Stadium. Additionally, all schools in the Big West Conference are committed to producing ESPN quality streams which will allow fans to watch the Titans on ESPN+ for all road conference games.
FOLLOW THE TITANS!
Fans can keep up with the latest in Titan Athletics by following us on Facebook (Facebook/FullertonTitans), Twitter (@FullertonTitans) Instagram (FullertonTitans) and Snapchat (FullertonTitans). In addition, the volleyball team has established its own Twitter (@Fullerton_WVB) and Instagram accounts (Fullerton_WVB).