Jayme Zoeckler has been a key cog for Notre Dame College Volleyball since arriving on campus in 2021. The sophomore (Sagamore Hills,Ohio) talked about how important family has been in getting her interested in the game:
"Volleyball has been a part of my life as long as I can remember," Zoeckler stated.
"My mother has been coaching volleyball at every level for 30 years. She is the volleyball coordinator at Saint Barnabas (grade school,) Coaches JV and Varsity at Trinity High School, coaches club volleyball at AVC (American Volleyball Cleveland) and coaches the men's team at Cleveland State. Five of my six siblings have played as well. I was probably passing a volleyball before I was walking. My parents are such an important part of my life. They cultured my love for volleyball since the beginning. My mom was my volleyball coach for so many years and one trait I received from her is patience and empathy. She is a mother to seven kids and is such a great role model. She did so much for us growing up and taught us so much. She showed me to put others before myself and to make the world a better place, even if it's just through a smile. My dad coached me in a few other sports (volleyball, soccer, and basketball) throughout my life. Something I have gained from him is my sense of humor and dependability. If you ask anyone that knows me, they would say I have a silly personality. I love making people laugh. I am also someone that anyone can lean on. I have always felt the need to be there for people no matter what because you never know what they are going through," she continued.
Zoeckler also talked about the role that JO (Junior Olympic) Volleyball has played in her life and a connection that she made that was imperative for her volleyball career:
"I started playing JO volleyball my freshman year of high school. After begging my parents they finally gave in. I played on an American team for three years because my age required me to play a year higher to play national (Club Volleyball has three levels in JO, Regional, American, and National. I was on the American team for three years, it was my senior year that I was pulled up to the National team. I admired those Cleveland girls from AVC for so many years before playing with them. To me they were like celebrities and getting a chance to play with them was unreal. Their passion and drive made me so much happier in one year. It was one of the greatest experiences I ever had involving volleyball. Getting to play with girls who went off to schools like the University of Cincinnati, University of Miami, University of Pittsburgh, and West Virginia University. They made me the player that I am today. I was pushed in a way that changed how I see volleyball. Not only this, but Meredith Rice, the director of AVC taught me so much in that short amount of time and fostered my love for passing. I am so grateful to have had that experience."
Zoeckler told me that the biggest difference between her high school and college experience on the court is the speed. She told me how fast paced it is. Team culture in college is so different from that of high school too. College is a lot more "all in" mentality. The girls choose to be here and fought for the sport they have," she said.
Zoeckler talked about a strange set of circumstances that got her to come to NDC:
"Ending up at Notre Dame was a weird happening. I had initially reached out to the coach at the time (Travis Hinkle) and he never responded. In the first round of the playoffs my junior year, he coincidentally was at a game I was playing to watch a girl from the other team. It was then he reached out and our relationship and our relationship started. I then went to a recruit practice and got to meet the team. From that point, I knew that I wanted to go to NDC."
Zoeckler talked about when she knew this was a special group:
"The second I met the volleyball team during my recruiting visit, I immediately knew those were the girls I wanted to spend my next four years with. I have played on a lot of volleyball teams, but I have never experienced one like this. From the second I walked onto campus, I had around 20 girls who I knew had my back 100 percent. We are truly a family, and it is this one aspect that made me choose NDC over all the other schools."
Zoeckler talked about a lesson that she learned from her coaches at NDC:
"One lesson I have learned from my coaches at NDC that will stick with me is that it is okay to have an off day or struggle. At the end of the day, we are all human beings not robots. We can have those off moments so that those those on the moments are much greater."
Junior right side Kelsie Palmer (Monroeville, Ohio) talked about the first time that she met Zoeckler:
"The first thing I remember about meeting Jayme was that she was so excited about volleyball and very knowledgable about the game. I also remember Jayme always wanting to get extra reps as a freshman which was so exciting to see. What makes Jayme a great teammate on and off the court is her passion and love for the game. She always has a positive attitude towards her teammates and always wants the best for everyone."
Zoeckler talked about a volleyball idol she has:
"A volleyball player that I have always admired is Victoria Gerrick, who played for USC. Not only was she was an amazing libero, but she always emphasized how she was a human being with real life struggles. Mental health is a real problem in the world of college athletics. She has begun to break the stigma of this issue. She verbalizes the need to take a step back when you are having a hard time because it is not selfish to take care of yourself."
Zoeckler talked about Palmer and sophomore middle blocker/right side Samantha Comer (Galion, Ohio:)
"Comer and Palmer are two of the greatest people I have met so far in college. These two people make me want to be a better player every day. Samantha is someone that the universe knew I needed in my life. She is one of my best friends and I would not be able to get through college without her. She knows exactly what I need when I am on the court, whether that be a high-five or telling me to calm down and I can do it. It is simple, but it means so much. Kelsie is one of the best players I have had the privilege of playing with. She pushes me to better and to set better. I can trust her every second on and off the court. These two people make me feel great. I could not do it without them."
Palmer talked about the energy in Murphy Gym for a home game and some admiration for a teammate and friend:
"We always bring the best energy to the gym in my opinion. Personally, I think the bench starts us off with the rowdy cheers that we do. It really is special to always be the team with the most energy and I credit our bench for uplifting everyone on the court. One thing I love about Jayme is her ball control. Jayme has been my pepper partner all season and I admire how controlled and focused she is during ball control. She has helped me with that aspect of my game."
Zoeckler talked about her coaches:
"Coach (Kathleen) Egan has been especially helpful towards me with setting. She understands the exact position I am in because she was in that spot. She always knows the right thing to say to me in that moment. Coach Riley (Coleman) is someone our team desperately needs. Her energy and love for the game is shown every second of every day. She pushes us to bring the fire she once showed on the Murphy Gym floor."
Palmer concurred with those sentiments:
"The coaching staff at NDC is unique because of the qualities each coach brings. Coach Riley (Coleman) helps the defense, and Coach Kathleen (Egan) helps the setters. Our staff is also encouraging during times when we are doing very well, and they bring big energy which helps bring our team up. Also, I feel very comfortable going up to my coaches if I have anything to talk about."
Academics are also high on Zoeckler's list:
"Academics are very important to our team. We are always making sure everyone has their homework done or has studied for their tests. We know that success in the classroom makes success on the court so much easier and creates a less stressful environment. To take the next step to move up in the MEC, " NDC needs to put it all in. We have the talent, energy focus, and passion but we sometimes struggle putting it all together. With the help of our coaches and positive reinforcement, we hope to make our way up the MEC ladder."
She then talked about being a setter:
"As a setter I am nothing without my teammates. Without their great passing and hitting, my stats do not happen. They set me up for success with every play and I could not do it without them. My favorite part of setting is making the plays that make my hitters look good. I want them to thrive and get kills. I love it when I look back at the stats and see that everyone has so many kills. I am so proud of them and how hard they work. Honestly ,setting is not my favorite job, but I know that I am skilled at it. I was recruited as a setter, right side, and defensive specialist. I played my final club year on one of the highest ranked national teams in the country (American Volleyball Club) as a passer. It has always been the most fun part of the game for me. However, setting is a job that I understand my talent in that area. In the end I am going to do what is best for the team and what they need. Being able to label myself as a setter and defensive specialist is so amazing. Having that passing background helps me so much when playing defense as a setter."
Comer added:
"Jayme leads our front row because she is our setter and that is the setter's job, she decides what plays to run and what set she will help us execute to earn points. There are some situations where we need a backup hitter just in case and that needs to be someone in our back row. Jayme communicates that to all the hitters so we are all aware and it shows a sense of leadership and control with our offense. Jayme and I were always open with what we need as a setter and a hitter especially in off moments or on bad plays. However, we always communicate when the set is, where it is supposed to be, and I always encourage and reassure her the set is good where it is as far as placement. Jayme knows where the ball is supposed to go as a setter and from there we go right into connecting in drills to figure out where the ball goes on and off pass and what temp the ball should be on a good pass."
Comer talked about the competition in the MEC:
"The competition in the MEC is always tough. I don't count any team out. All the time in our league challenge us. The MEC is a tough conference. There are so many great teams that keep you on your toes. The best part about this conference is that the rankings do not mean anything in the end. Across the board, all of them are amazing, and anyone can win on any given day. I expect us to be underdogs this season but we know we can beat these teams. It is not the physical ability that we need to foster, it is our mental game. Having a winning mentality all of the time will set us apart from other teams."
Palmer gave her thoughts:
"I believe the MEC is one of the toughest conferences out there. We can never take a team lightly when its GameDay, and every set matters. It has been hard for us in previous years to make the MEC Tournament because of how good the other teams are."
Zoeckler gave credit to her professors:
"I am a nursing major here at NDC and I have the best professors. I think one of the most important things that my professors have taught me is to always take care of ourselves, as students, as well as athletes, and when we go out into the workforce, especially as a nurse, our mental and physical health is so important especially as young adults."
Zoeckler also gives high marks to the NDC bench and what role it plays on GameDay:
"The energy they create in any gym gives us the push we need when playing. They are genuinely happy for those on the court and cheer us on every second. They always help those because the cheers are coming from their heart."
She continued:
"Home games are our favorite part of NDC Volleyball. We thrive off the energy our fans bring every game. They always show up for us and create an environment that makes us love what we do."
Palmer agreed about the home court advantage:
"The home court advantage we have at Murphy Gym stems from the amazing crowd and student section who show up to our games. The gym is usually packed and extremely loud which I think throws the other team off a little bit. We are so used to practicing in the gym every day that it's second nature to us."
Palmer talked about what a leader Zoeckler is:
"Jayme is a leader in so many ways. She is passionate about what she does, she is positive on the court, she is knowledgeable about the game, and for me personally from setter to hitter, Jayme gives me confidence to put the ball away and get a kill which is an amazing quality to have as a setter."
Comer told me how Zoeckler always goes out of her way for others:
"Jayme is always the person to go out of her way to help you when we are off the court, always offering all of the girls something as simple as coffee. On the court I have always admired how selfless Jayme is especially since she is my setter. She's always taking responsibility for any sets that aren't the best and reassured me she will fix it. It helps my confidence knowing we can work it out to be more successful for the team."
Zoeckler told me that the underclassmen and upperclassmen have fit together well:
"Most of us have said that the underclassmen fit perfectly in our group this year. Especially our freshman, they came in and it didn't really seem like they were freshman. Every single underclassmen has a positive attitude and a good work ethic which is super exciting for the future of our team."
Comer agreed:
"With a young team like ours it takes a little bit to get familiar. We need to learn plays and expectations. Since our team is mostly underclassmen it leaves room for a lot of growth which is a good thing, but it's always hard to fill a seniors shoes after they graduate. In any other gym I would argue it's hard to get to know teammates, especially 22 teammates, in a short period of time. However, I've never been on a team that meshes so well off the court. We have so much growth to bring onto the court. Lastly our coaches are always encouraging us to play loose and have fun because it shows through the score of our games as opposed to when we play tense and timid.
Notre Dame College Volleyball (14-18 8-8 MEC) the fourth seed in the North will open play in the MEC Quarterfinals when they take on the top seed in the South University of Charleston (30-3 15-1 MEC.) First serve is set for 5 PM at the Wherle Innovation Center.
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