A Familiar Name
Volleyball Standout Crista Jones Contributes to her Family’s La Verne Legacy
Jones is one of the five most common surnames in the United States. Peruse a phonebook in any state in the nation and you can expect to find a multitude of listings for people named Jones.
At La Verne, a host of Joneses populate the alumni roster. But when it comes to athletics, particularly the nationally recognized women’s volleyball program, there is quality as well as quantity.
Crista Jones recently capped an illustrious career with the Leopards. She was the 2009 SCIAC Player of the Year and was named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division III All-America First Team for the second consecutive year, becoming only the fourth player in program history to earn First Team All-America honors in multiple seasons.
A third-generation La Verne student-athlete, Crista admits her family played a major role in choice of college. Simply put, La Verne has always been a part of her life.
Her father, Tom (‘81), and mother, Chris (‘83), met while students at La Verne. Chris Kuehl starred on the Leopard volleyball squad under acclaimed head coach Jim Paschal, eventually earning induction into the university’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2003. Tom played four years of volleyball and two seasons of basketball during his undergraduate days. Two grandparents on Crista Jones’ father’s side also attended La Verne, as did both of her sisters – Adele (‘05) and Jenny (‘08). Adele was a four-year starter on the volleyball squad and a member of the Leopards 2001 NCAA Division III Championship team.
“I was thinking it would be really cool to go to a Division I school. However, I just felt La Verne was overall the better fit for me,” Jones said. “Though I never felt obligated to fill a family tradition, family is a huge part in my life. Knowing that they would be near in this next step in my life was why I chose to go to La Verne.”
As a middle blocker, Crista enjoyed immediate success at La Verne. She earned AVCA West Region and First Team All-Conference honors as a freshman and was selected All-SCIAC as a sophomore.
Her junior season was especially memorable as she helped the Leos win their ninth straight conference title and march through the playoffs to the 2008 NCAA III national championship match. Her signature performance came in the national semifinal against top-ranked Juniata College (Pa.), where she posted a team-high 18 kills along with three blocks and four service aces in a 3-2 victory over the Eagles. She was named AVCA First Team All-America, AVCA All-West Region and First Team All-SCIAC.
This past season Crista moved to outside hitter. Despite being targeted by opposing teams, the senior excelled in her new role.
“Out of necessity we requested that Crista learn a completely new position with completely new skill requirements,” said first-year head coach Marlon Sano. “To her credit, not only did she give up her former position, but she did so without complaint. She competed at the highest of levels.”
She led the Leos in kills and hitting percentage and posted double-figure kills on 20 occasions. During the postseason, she collected 123 kills in five playoff matches and concluded her career with more than 1,400 kills, the most by a La Verne player since 2001.
Yet despite all the accolades, Crista most enjoyed the journey with her teammates.
“Really all I wanted was to be a part of a collegiate team, work hard and hope that the dedication and commitment would pay off. It did,” she said. “I’ve valued my time as a La Verne volleyball player and have treasured the experience of being a La Verne student-athlete.”
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- Smith Named 2003 AVCA National Player Of The Year
- Smith and Schary Named AVCA First Team All-America; Kratochvil Earns Second Team All-America Honors