Jackson area native and captain of the NCAA Division III Lady Barons volleyball team Christina Lawrence will lead the Lady Raiders as head volleyball coach beginning June 1. Lawrence began playing volleyball in the seventh grade in Mississippi. She joined the Lady Barons of Franciscan University in Ohio in 2012, serving as captain in 2015-16. In 2015, Franciscan University Athletics named Lawrence Most Valuable Player. She received the St. Sebastian Leadership Award in athletics and was named to the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Third Team All-Conference that same year. She was nominated for and elected to the Center for Leadership at Franciscan University where she will complete a bachelor of arts in communication arts with a concentration in radio and television in May of 2016.

“I’m so excited about joining the family at Jackson Academy. I’m impressed by the culture of JA, by the loyalty of the community, and by the student-centered focus of the faculty and staff,” she said. “I’m excited to offer my coaching ability and mentoring to the volleyball team and to learn as much as I can from the notable staff around me.”

Lawrence chose to attend Franciscan University, a small catholic school in Steubenville, Ohio, where she found a college home that allowed her to “encounter God more closely” and pursue NCAA volleyball. She sees athletics as a “chance to use your gifts and be a witness of good virtues and faith to those with whom you play.”

Members of the JA community may already know two members of Christina’s family, her sister Nicole Lawrence, a JA seventh grader, and her mother, Angela, who works in Preschool.

Congratulations to the JV and varsity volleyball teams! JV finished the season 13-3. Varsity finished 35-3 and won the MAIS championship title for the second year. Ranked No. 1 in the state on MS MaxPreps, varsity also won the Gulf Coast Kick-off Classic and the Madison Madness Invitational. Volleyball is coached by Jennifer Bracken, head coach, and Brittany Ammons and Riley Busching, assistant coaches.

The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with USA TODAY High School Sports, today announced Conley Chinn as its 2015-16 Gatorade Mississippi Volleyball Player of the Year. Chinn is the first Gatorade Mississippi Volleyball Player of the Year to be chosen from Jackson Academy. The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Chinn as Mississippi’s best high school volleyball player, said The Gatorade Company in a press release sent to JA this morning. Chinn joins an elite alumni association of past state award winners in 12 sports, including USA Volleyball players Kim Glass (2001-02, Horseshoe HS, Penn.), Kim Willoughby (1998-99, 1999-00, Assumption HS, La.) and Ogonna Nnamani (1999-00, University HS, Ill).

The 6-foot-1 junior middle blocker led the Raiders to a 35-3 record and the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools championship this past season. Chinn recorded 283 kills, 263 blocks, and 91 service aces. A member of the All-State Tournament Team each of the past two seasons, she is also a Clarion-Ledger First Team All-State selection. Chinn has maintained a 4.0 GPA in the classroom. Also a track and basketball standout, she has served on the student council and has volunteered locally on behalf of the Special Olympics and youth basketball programs.

“Chinn is strong at the net, quick and super energetic,” said Brooke Engle, head coach at Ocean Springs High. “She was really a pivotal player and a good leader for that team.”

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