Volleyball's 25: Benavia Jenkins
Tuesday, August 12, 2008 | Volleyball
UF Communications
Editor's Note: This is the eighth of a 25-part daily series on GatorZone.com honoring the great players in Florida volleyball history (in no particular rank or order) leading up to the start of the 25th season since Gator volleyball was reinstated as a varsity sport prior to the 1984 campaign.
For most collegiate volleyball players, the court is their stage - the place where they have the opportunity to show off their skills to the fans and showcase their talent. But for former Florida volleyball player Benavia Jenkins (2000-03) the court wasn't her only stage.
Jenkins was a bit of a renaissance woman during her time in Gainesville. The Ft. Pierce, Fla., native aspired to be a singer, actress and model, in addition to being one of the top blockers in Gator volleyball history.
Her passion for the performing arts began as a child, participating in the youth choir. In fact, despite her mother, Sandra, having played college volleyball at Jackson State, Jenkins never picked up a volleyball until the ninth grade, according to an Oct. 24 article in the Florida Alligator by Louis Anastasis.
“There were no YMCAs where she could go and play volleyball,” her mother told the Alligator. “When she comes home she must attend church and she sings for the choir.”
Despite not beginning volleyball until her first year of high school, Jenkins became a two-time FHSAA Class 2A All-State team member and a two- time Ft. Pierce News-Tribune Player of the Year. She was thrice elected the Most Valuable player on her team and also competed in basketball and track.
“I was more into track and field, but my mom just said try volleyball and maybe you'll like it,” Jenkins told TC Palm. “I was mainly doing volleyball and basketball just to keep me in shape for track.”
So for her college years, Jenkins decided that her stage would be the Stephen C. O'Connell Center and she headed North to Gainesville.
“Benavia might be one of the best athletes in the entire class of '99,” Florida head coach Mary Wise said in a press release announcing the 1999 signing class, which was ranked ninth in the nation. “We had a chance to work with her at camp last summer and learned quickly what a special talent that she is.”
She listed in her freshman questionnaire in 1999 that she enjoyed singing and dancing, and she aspired for a career in one of those professions once her volleyball playing days were over. She relied on her faith to carry her through the tough times and help her accomplish her goals.
“Benavia has always had big dreams,” her mother told Alligator writer Jason Triebwasser in a Nov. 16, 2000 article. “Religion has always been important in Benavia's life. Everything that happens to Benavia is a blessing.”
Jenkins was redshirted her freshman year and noted that the time off from competition helped her develop into the type of player she needed to be at the collegiate level.
“The redshirt season helped me a lot with my hitting and passing techniques,” Jenkins told the Alligator. “Also, the coaches were always keeping me after practice and helping me get better. Florida is a family. It is like a bunch of sisters on the team. I really needed that.”
Her mother agreed, saying that the experience of redshirting helped Jenkins in a number of areas.
“I thought it was very beneficial because she had a chance to study and practice with the team,” her mother said. “The experience has much better prepared her for playing this season.”
Jenkins, a 6-foot middle blocker, entered into an interesting situation in her first year of seeing action. Florida struggled to open the campaign, dropping both of its matches in the National Association for Collegiate Women's Athletics Administrators (NACWAA) Tournament.
Mid-way through the year, senior middle blocker Heather Wright, who spent much of the season battling severe biceps tendonitis, was officially declared out of the lineup, according to an Oct. 6, 2000 article in the Alligator.
Jenkins gladly stepped up to fill the role and excelled, both because of her natural athleticism and her intimidating presence on the court.
“Benavia is a force at the net,” teammate Jerilyn Hattendorf said. “Her blocking is an intimidating factor. You can tell that she is a true athlete just by looking at her. She came in here as strong as anybody ever has without ever lifting a weight in her life.”
Jenkins was a first-team All-SEC selection her freshman season, leading the Southeastern Conference with 1.63 blocks per game, which also ranked sixth nationally. She finished seventh all-time in the SEC's single- season efficiency annals with a .412 hitting efficiency her first season. Her 162 block assists that season ranked second on the school's all-time single-season block assists list. She averaged 1.63 blocks per game and twice reached double-figure block totals in a match.
“I can't say that I expected to do as well as I have,” Jenkins told the Alligator. “But I knew I had talent and that I could do it on the court. I only play well because I have great passers on the team, great coaches and a great setter.”
If Jenkins surprised fans and opponents during the 2000 season, her strong play in 2001 would be a surprise to no one, especially Wise.
“Benavia Jenkins is as athletic as any middle blocker in the country,” Wise said in the outlook section of the team's 2001 media guide. “The only thing Benavia lacked was just plain experience. She's a great learner and her game has improved tremendously.”
The outlook section of Jenkins' bio noted that she was a “Fierce competitor, but is a jokester off the court.”
Jenkins was ready to being the season after establishing herself as one of the nation's top blockers as a freshman. But Jenkins wasn't satisfied with the level of her game that she reached as a rookie.
“I can say blocking was my biggest accomplishment last season,” Jenkins told Vanessa Vargas of the Gator Times. “The outside hitters and right- side hitters really helped me set up blocks. My teammates helped set up my one-on-one blocks and made everything a lot easier for me.
“One of the things I want to accomplish is becoming a better blocker. That's my role – to block balls. My only concern when I'm on the court is to block for my team.”
One of the key's to Jenkins' continuing success as a sophomore was her work with strength and conditioning coach Karin Spence. She increased her vertical leap by more than two inches to record the best jump-touch ever by a Florida volleyball player at 10-foot-5 1/2, according to an Oct. 14, 2001 article in the Gainesville Sun entitled “A big leap toward stardom.” The previous record had been Nina Foster's 10-4 jump-touch.
Near the start of the SEC season in 2001, she was averaging 1.60 blocks per game.
“And it's not like basketball – We don't have to worry about her leaving early for the draft,” Wise quipped to Brandon Zimmerman of the Sun. “For her, it's the combination of an elite-level athlete, the genes she was born with, but also the work she has put into it.”
As a sophomore, Jenkins played in each of the team's 30 matches and was a first-team All-SEC selection. She spent most of the 2001 season among the nation's top 15 in individual blocks per game, finishing 11th with 1.55 rejections per frame. She also finished 11th nationally in hitting percentage with a .397 clip.
Jenkins was invited to the USA Volleyball National A2 training program in the summer of 2002 after being named an AVCA second-team All-America selection in 2001.
“On behalf of USA Volleyball, we would like to congratulate you on being selected as one of 20 athletes invited to comprise the 2002 USA Women's National A2 training program,” wrote Toshi Yoshida, USA National Team head coach, in a letter to Jenkins dated March 7, 2002. “We look forward to your participation with the A2 program and continuing on a direct path to playing on the USA Women's National Team.”
Due to a stress fracture in her foot that summer, Jenkins was restrained from jumping by the summer, which gave her an opportunity to work on her passing and defense.
“Benavia Jenkins' game has just gone to a different level,” Wise said in the outlook section of the team's 2002 media guide. “Now her attacking, her blocking and the experience she got in Colorado Springs – we're going to reap the benefits because of how much time she was able to spend on her game.”
Jenkins continued her stellar play during her junior season, notching one of her best nights on her 22nd birthday with a 3-0 victory against Georgia. Jenkins' blocks made the difference in the match, according to Wise.
“The tone was set early by the play of Benavia Jenkins,” Wise told Jeremy Fowler of the Alligator in an Oct. 3, 2002 article. “I think we're going to make every day her birthday. The effort and intensity that she played with, this was perhaps one of the best matches she's played all year.
“She had one block where we haven't seen many players in the O'Connell Center jump and reach and touch a ball at the height that she did.”
As a junior, Jenkins was a third-team AVCA All-America selection, helping the Gators advance to the NCAA Final Four. She finished the season ninth in the country in blocking, averaging 1.52 rejections per game. Jenkins finished the year third on UF's all-time list for career blocks with 503 and fourth in career hitting percentage at .368. She again was a first- team All-SEC selection and an AVCA All-East Region Team honoree.
Her senior season of 2003 was Jenkins' time to shine. Her picture adorned the upper left-hand corner of the team's media guide cover that season.
“Benavia is one of the elite blockers in the country,” Wise said in the outlook section of the team's 2003 media guide. Her offensive skills are no equal to that of her blocking skills, making her one of the most complete middles in the game.”
After helping direct the squad to a 22-1 record in 2003, Jenkins suffered a right-knee injury in the middle of the team's first game against South Carolina on Oct. 26, 2003 and had to leave the match.
“It's more than minor,” Wise said to the Gainesville Sun following the match. We're all holding our breath here. She wasn't saying much. I assured her we weren't going to lose this one for her, and she gave me that big, Benavia smile.”
Three days later, it was ruled that Jenkins season and career would be over. She finished her career, which was untimely ended, as the school's leader in career blocks with 601, having played every match in her Florida career.
“Benavia is obviously a huge part of our team,” Teammate Jane Collymore told Zimmerman of the Sun in an Oct. 29 article. “She's the greatest blocker ever at Florida.”
Wise echoed Collymore's sentiments.
“No person is going to be asked to make up for Benavia,” Wise said. “But in combination, if we can get half a block a game out of this player and half a kill a game out of this player, then in combination, we feel like we have enough talent to make up for it.”
Florida capped the year with its most successful postseason run in school history. The Gators defeated Hawaii to advance to the NCAA National Championship match for the first time in the history of the program, finishing as national runners-up.
“It was rough,” Wise told Gator Bait Editor Marty Cohen about Jenkins' injury. “It reminded me how injuries are a fluke. Benavia's made that same play and landed a billion times, so it's surprising the knee would just go. It's why in athletics, I really believe this, you can't peak for a certain year. You can't talk about 'Well, this is our year,' because you never know what will happen that year.”
Despite the injury, Jenkins earned All-America honors from the AVCA. To become an All-American, a player must play in 66.7 percent of a team's games. Because Florida won its final nine matches in three-game sweeps, Jenkins was able to qualify for the award, Zimmerman reported in a Dec. 18, 2003 article.
For Jenkins, the aspiring actor and singer, she was able to reach volleyball's biggest stage – the only team in Florida history to accomplish that feat. And even if she was part of the behind-the-scenes crew and not the lead in the show, that experience was fine with her.
END OF REPORT
