Volleyball's 25: Jenny Wood
Thursday, August 21, 2008 | Volleyball
By: Sean Cartell
UF Communications
Editor's Note: This is the 17th 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.
During her career as a Florida volleyball player, former Gator Jenny Wood (1993-96) was known as a jokester. Her off-the-court antics often had her teammates laughing or shaking their heads in amazements. But for opposing players, the joke was often on them as Wood was dominant on the outside.
“She's a nut,” Florida head coach Mary Wise said in an Oct. 17, 1996 article in Gator Bait. “There's a side of woody that's as competitive as any player we've ever had, and there's another side that's as goofy as anybody's ever been. She's basically a cut-up – that's her personality.”
Wood said that her ability to know the right time for humor and the right time to be serious was a key to her success.
“That's how I've always been,” Wood told Harry Blauvelt of USA Today in a Nov. 13, 1996 article. “It's usually an inside joke when I say something. I know when to get serious, but people tell me it looks like we're having way too much fun out there.”
Wise said that Wood's ability to lighten the mood was a big asset, especially at times when most of the team's players were most tense.
“She has the ability to lighten things up in a hurry and she also knows when to pull in the reigns,” Wise told Paul Jenkins in a Sept. 3, 1996 column in the Gainesville Sun. “So many young players don't know when to be loose or scared. Jen is the pulse of this team. She lets them enjoy it and also makes sure they're serious when they have to be.”
Wood, a 6-foot native of Springfield, Ill., had become the first player in her hometown to be selected to the all-city team four consecutive seasons (1989-92). She was named to Volleyball Monthly's Fab-50 team, which listed the top-50 high school seniors in the nation.
Wood was selected to the 1992 U.S. Junior Olympic team and the 1992 USVBA elite camp. She was an AAU All-American in 1990 and helped lead Sacred Heart Griffin High School to fourth-place finishes at the state championships during her senior and freshmen seasons. She also competed on the school's varsity softball team.
For Wise, Wood's commitment to come to Florida was no joke. She was excited about the unique skill set that she expected wood to bring to the court for the Gators.
“As a left-handed player who hits with power, Jenny will provide us an offensive look we haven't had before,” Wise said in a press release issued by Debbie Long of the Florida Sports Information office. “The right-side attack will be a major part of the Gator offense for the next four years.”
Her freshman season, Wood saw action in 21 matches. She served primarily as a back-row player, hitting .500 or better in eight matches and playing in seven of the team's last 10 matches. Initially, the prospect of not being in the starting lineup was difficult for Wood, but she made valuable contributions, substituting in for Keri Uptegraph on the back line.
“At first it was hard,” Wood told Alligator writer Scott Stolze. “Coming from high school, I was everything. It's hard to do that and then come sit the bench for a year. I came in for Keri when her arm was feeling bad. I'd come in and get a side out. That was my role and I accepted that.”
Roommate and teammate Claire Roach agreed that Wood had a difficult first year, but was willing to accept her role.
“She came in and had to sit on the bench behind a senior her whole freshman year, and that was really tough for her,” Roach told Jim Harvin of Gator Bait. “I know because I was her roommate. She was coming off being a stud in high school, but she knew she had to wait her turn.”
And while Wood was willing to do whatever it took to help the team, she wanted to play a bigger role. With the graduation of Uptegraph following the 1993 campaign, Wood would have an opportunity to earn a starting spot if she could prove her abilities.
“I worked my tail off in the spring and I worked my tail off in the summer,” Wood told the Alligator. “I was determined. I wanted a starting position and I was going to work as hard as I had to do that.”
That summer, Wood was selected to the U.S. Olympic Festival West squad, which won a silver medal, and said that the experience improved the confidence she had in her abilities.
“It was great,” Wood said of the Olympic Festival experience. “It gave me confidence. I went out and wasn't nervous because you don't have to prove anything to anybody.”
Wise noticed Wood's improvement and knew that she would be an important part in the team's success in 1994, coming off of two consecutive NCAA Final Four appearances.
“Jenny Wood has emerged into a very fine offensive player and she's showed she's not far behind Keri Uptegraph, in terms of her back-row defense,” Wise said in the outlook section of the team's 1994 media guide. “With Claire Roach and Jenny Wood on the right side, I think it will become a much more intrical part of our attack than it has in the past.”
An article in the Florida Alligator on Sept. 22, 1994 was entitled “UF to throw Wood into the fire.” The premise centered around the idea that Wood would be given a big opportunity to perform in her sophomore season after serving a primarily reserve role as a rookie.
“Jenny was just getting ready for this year for a chance to get on the court,” Teammate Ashley Mullis said. “And she's doing a great job. She's in great shape and she's doing really well.”
Wood was named to the All-Tournament Team in each of UF's pre-conference tournaments in 1994 and set a career-high with seven service aces in a match against Stanford.
“It's nice to be named to all-tournament teams,” Wood said. “But that's not what I think about when I go on the court. I play to win and I play for the team. I Think I still haven't hit my peak. I think the first couple of weeks I've been learning what my limits are and what I can do. There's still room for improvement.”
That season, Wood was named to the NCAA All-South Region second team and also was named to the South Region All-Tournament team after recording a team-high 16 kills vs. No. 17 Houston in the South Region semifinals. She was a first-team All-Southeastern Conference selection who led Florida in kills in 19 matches, while also leading the team in digs in eight matches. Wood recorded a career-high 30 kills vs. No. 6 Pacific that season, which ranked fifth on UF's all-time list for most kills in a match.
Wood recorded double-digit kills in 27 of the team's 34 matches that year, hitting above .300 on 17 occasions. She finished the season ranked second in the SEC in aces per game (0.46/g) and 12th in kills per game (3.85/g). Her season total of 487 kills ranked fifth on UF's single-season kills list. She led the team in kills (487) and aces (54) and ranked second in hitting percentage (.264), blocks (102) and assists (78) and was third in digs (270).
Wood's sophomore season was the type of year Wise was hoping for and she knew that Wood would have to play a key role if the Gators were going to be successful in 1995.
“Jenny Wood has become the type of player we hoped she would in terms of dominating from the right side,” Wise said in the outlook section of the team's 1995 media guide. “She's a great blocker, she's physical and she's one of our best primary passers. She is the total package on the right side. The right side will continue to be a major part of our offense.”
The 1995 season saw Wood again named to the All-SEC first team and she also was an AVCA All-District selection. Wood posted double-digit kills in 22 matches, hitting higher than .300 in 19 matches and .400 or better 13 times. She notched six double-doubles (kills-digs) on the season, including accomplishing that feat twice during NCAA Tournament play. Wood also displayed her proficiency for scoring behind the service line, as she recorded two or more aces in 11 matches, including a school-record-tying eight service aces against South Carolina in an Oct. 29, 1995 match.
She ranked second on the team and third in the SEC in aces per game (0.42/gm) and ranked in the top three on the team in every statistical category except digs, in which she ranked fifth. Wood tied for fifth in the SEC and was third on the team in hitting percentage with a .300 clip.
Wood struggled with injuries during the spring season of 1996, but recovered well in time for her final campaign. Wise knew that Wood's athletic ability, as well as her leadership would be important to helping the team succeed that season.
“Jenny Wood is our top returning player,” Wise said in the outlook section of the team's 1996 media guide. “She battled some injuries in the spring and it will be key to get that behind us. She has been a big part of our success, but she has not had to carry the load.
“She will take on more responsibility on the floor than she has had to in the past, and she's ready for that,” Wise continued. “She's the perfect right-side player. She's a great blocker, very physical hitter, excellent passer and a really good secondary setter. Jen Wood's on target to have a great year.”
But more importantly than her prowess on the court were the other factors that Wood brought to the team. Wise noted that Wood's stabilizing effect was the best asset that she brought to the team.
“We describe Jen as our stabilizer,” Wise told Jenkins of the Gainesville Sun. “She has to be a given for us every night. She has to give us good passing, blocking, hitting and serving, and she's accepted that role.
“She's the heart and soul of our team,” Wise told USA Today in a Nov. 13, 1996 article. “She has the ability to put \up big numbers. She's learned to play each night without having a bad match.”
Wood was a second-team AVCA All-America selection as a senior and was voted the SEC's Player of the Year. She was named to every all-tournament team during the season, including two MVP Honors. A co-captain of the team, Wood led the team in digs per game (2.99/gm), while ranking second in kills per game (3.76/gm) and aces per game (0.31/gm).
“Jen has reached and exceeded everything that we hoped she could accomplish by the beginning of her senior year,” Wise said. “What we need from Jen in order for us to be successful is her passing and blocking. The bonus she's given us is her serving, attacking and her digging, and what she has done by putting all those things together has made her play like an All-American.
“What has elevated Jen Wood is her all-around game,” Wise continued. “There are few right-side players in the country who can play at the level Jen is playing at night-in and night-out, and that's the sign of an All-America player.”
Wood was the only player in the league to be ranked in the SEC in four categories, finishing the year ranked seventh in hitting efficiency and eighth in kills per game, aces per game and digs per game. She posted double-digit kills in 28 of the team's 39 matches and double-digit digs in 16 contests. Wood recorded a team-high 13 double-doubles, including back-to-back double-doubles in the NCAA Central Region Championship that allowed the Gators to advance to their third NCAA Final Four in program history.
“What Jenny has done is what we hope our players will do,” Wise told Harvin of Gator Bait. “That is to get better each year and then, as a senior, have their best production. She's in the best shape of her life and it all came together for her.”
END OF REPORT
