ROCKINGHAM — Jakerra Covington has been named the Daily Journal’s Athlete of the Week for Sept. 8-14.
Covington is a junior for the Richmond varsity volleyball team where she is a key contributor as a middle hitter.
She displayed a boost of energy during a grueling three-game stretch, two of which came on the road. Covington finished second on the team with 27 kills for the week, including 13 kills in the win over Southern Lee. Her eight blocks, five of those coming against Lumberton on Thursday, helped the team go 3-0 for the week.
“It’s exciting. That’s why I’ve been playing really hard, because I really wanted it,” she said of the honor.
Lady Raiders coach Ashleigh Larsen says Covington wants to be better and has shown great progression since moving up from junior varsity this season.
“As these games have progressed, she’s understanding more and asking more challenging questions about herself,” said Larsen. “On Thursday, she was more concerned with shutting that middle down and she did a good job of that.”
“She works hard 110 percent of the time,” I’m happy to see her filling the shoes we had open for her.”
Covington is noticing that improving her mental disposition throughout the course of a game is sparking the stellar play of late. She says that she’s been working on making adjustments each set and overcoming frustration when things don’t go her way.
“Each game I feel like my spikes are getting better and harder because I’m readjusting,” said Covington.
Recently, her main focus since the team lost its first match of the season to Pinecrest the week prior, has been to rally the girls’ spirits so they can work harder to get back at the top of the conference.
“When we play with more excitement, we play better,” said Covington.
Larsen has seen the positive effects of the junior’s spark and increased leadership role.
“Jakerra is probably one of the most aggressive girls we got on the team,” said Larsen. “She’s always motivated to compete with everybody, so I think she gets everyone on the team motivated to keep going.”
Below are Covington’s answers to a list of “fun facts” questions presented by the Daily Journal.
Q: Who do you listen to for motivation before games?
A: Really, before every game, we have our own playlist. Me and my partner, Jasmine, just vibe off each other.
Q: Favorite meal?
A: I love cheese and grits with bacon on top.
Q: Who has the best dance moves on the team?
A: Jayla (McDougald) by far, is the best dancer on the team.
For more from Covington and Larsen, watch this short video.
