Learning how to balance work and school is hard, but LSU's middle blocker has learned how to ace both.
Jessica Jones grew up in Frisco, Texas, and played volleyball throughout her high school career. She played at Wakeland High School, where she earned All-American honors, and played club volleyball for Drive Nation, which placed fifth in the 2023 USA National Tournament.
Jones traveled to LSU and made an immediate impact in 2024 as a freshman. She appeared in all 27 matches and played 103 sets. She ended the season with 163 kills and 88 total blocks, which equated to 0.88 blocks per set. Along with her successful freshman season, Jones was also going through academic challenges as an engineering major.
"I think, for me, I've always just had an interest in math and science,” Jones said. “It's something that I've been good at, and I really enjoy just analyzing things and understanding how things work and why they work the way they do. It's kind of a nerd answer, but it's something I've always just enjoyed as time's gone on throughout my coursework."
Jones also credits her family for her decision to major in mechanical engineering. Her father and two older brothers are in civil engineering, so she has been around engineering for her whole life.
"It just felt natural as well," Jones said.
Her studies paid off, as she was named to the 2024-2025 First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll. She rolled into her sophomore season with another accolade as a member of the 2025 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll.
Jones posted an even stronger season in 2025 by playing all 104 sets and boasting 107 total blocks. All her blocks resulted in 1.03 blocks per set, which led the team, and she earned 2025 All-Louisiana Second Team honors.
"A stuff block is definitely, in my opinion, the best feeling in volleyball,” Jones said. “It doesn't really compare to a super great kill. A block is super fun because you know it steals a lot of momentum from the other team and can help boost your team into the next couple of points, so it's a super fun moment whenever that happens.”
The junior received an internship offer from ExxonMobil, which she gladly accepted. Jones took on her new internship as she would take on a practice or a game. She found it natural to work with a team of competitive engineers.
"I knew to approach it overall as far as taking it day by day and just trying to learn as much as I can,” Jones explained, “obviously collaborating with others like you're on a team and staying super adaptable as well. That's the same thing in practices and games - staying adaptable when the game plan changes.
“And just having that competitiveness; one thing that ExxonMobil talked about a lot was just being competitive, especially when there's a lot of other interns from super prestigious academic schools around you, it definitely helps to have some natural competitiveness in you, so I think that helps drive me a lot."
Jones learned more professionalism through ExxonMobil, which she has used to build upon her leadership and teamwork.
"I think that's helped me lead better in volleyball, just remaining professional and also being able to separate the times when we're in practice and in games from hanging out as teammates outside of that," Jones said. "It's the same thing when you're at work with co-workers where you have to remain professional, and then outside of work when you're hanging out with your friends. It's the same thing when you're with your teammates and practicing games; you're doing your job."
With her success on and off the court, Jones credits her newfound balance to allow her to keep succeeding. She loves how her schoolwork and sports align with one another.
"The best way to put it, engineering and school take my mind off of volleyball, and volleyball takes my mind off of school," Jones said. "So, when schoolwork is overwhelming me, I have volleyball as an outlet to get away from that and kind of de-stress. And when volleyball is overwhelming me, I have school as an outlet for that and get my mind off of volleyball and de-stress from that. So, in a way, they kind of feed into each other."
The middle blocker has found her balance, and she will keep it going into her junior season.
As long as Jones is blocking spikes, she will continue her goal of earning her mechanical engineering degree.