Playing the middle blocker position means you are in the opponent’s face all game, matched up, trying to out-power, out-smart and out-duel the other team. It鈥檚 not a position for the weak. It鈥檚 not a position for the quiet 鈥� it鈥檚 a position built for someone who isn鈥檛 intimidated by anything.聽
Pitt volleyball first-year middle blocker Ryla Jones hasn鈥檛 shown any signs of intimidation in the several months she鈥檚 donned a Pitt jersey. Redshirt junior middle blocker of her own, continuously notices that Jones displays a never-give-in attitude.
鈥淪he doesn鈥檛 quit,鈥� Kelley said. 鈥淚 have definitely gotten through some adversity and I think I have never quit, and [Jones] definitely shows that even in tough times, she’s just not going to give up.鈥�
It鈥檚 hard to transition from high school and club volleyball to collegiate volleyball 鈥� harder even to compete for a starting position on the preseason No. 4 team in the country as a first-year. But Jones doesn鈥檛 shy away from the pressure and competition. It鈥檚 something she moves towards.
Growing up in a household with a twin and three other siblings will make a person love competition. Growing up in a household with four siblings who all eventually play Division One athletics will exponentially increase said love for competition.
鈥淭here was always something we were trying to compete at and see who was better,鈥� Jones said. 鈥淓specially being on a [volleyball] team with my twin, we are always going at it with each other. She was a right side, so I always wanted to block her all the time.鈥�
鈥淲ith my big sister playing volleyball at Maryland, she was , so I was always trying to one-up her, but she kind of always had that edge on me,鈥� Jones said.
The Panthers鈥� competition for who will earn the second middle blocker position is still undecided, according to head coach Dan Fisher. The Panthers’ head coach already acknowledges Kelley as the first middle blocker, but Jones is competing with first-year middle blockers Bianca Garibaldi and Dalia V卯rlan.聽
Jones seems to have the inside lane to win the position as she has started all three of Pitt鈥檚 matches so far this season. But nothing is guaranteed in college athletics, and the Fort Washington, Maryland, native knows she still needs to grow in various parts of her game.聽
Most notably, Jones works tirelessly at improving her read blocking, which is when a middle blocker has to read where the setter is going to set the ball so they can put themselves in the best possible position to earn a block.聽
鈥淚鈥檝e been working all summer on read blocking,鈥� Jones said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of one of the harder skills to develop as a middle blocker, but I feel like if I keep working at it, I鈥檒l just be able to get it. It鈥檚 come a long way over time because I didn鈥檛 usually read block in club and high school, but [Pitt has] been really pushing me and helping me find ways to improve my game in that area.鈥�
Sophomore outside hitter Torrey Stafford last season had to deal with the same learning curves that Jones is dealing with this season. From getting used to living on a college campus to understanding what is needed from a collegiate athlete, Stafford went through it in 2023.聽
The Torrance, California, native notices the similarities between her and Jones and is aware of how badly she wants to make a difference for Pitt.
鈥淪he is very similar to me. In the practices, we will be going back and forth. We have such fiery personalities,鈥� Stafford said. 鈥淪he just really wants to play and she loves the sport. You can see it in how she puts the work in during practices and how much she really cares about volleyball.鈥�
But that clear love for volleyball wasn鈥檛 always the case. She was a two-sport athlete in high school, playing club basketball and club volleyball, but decided on volleyball over basketball because to her, an offer from Pitt volleyball was irrefutable.聽
But Jones, from a 鈥渂asketball household鈥� where both of her parents played overseas, still has that basketball mentality of going after every loose ball alive and well in her volleyball game.聽
鈥淏locking is one of my favorite parts of [volleyball], just like going to get it. [That] probably came from basketball,鈥� Jones said.
The go-and-get-it play style also comes from Jones鈥� mentality, and it is apparent to Jones鈥� teammates who notice that she is a 鈥済o-getter.鈥� That go-getter and extroverted mentality that Jones brought to campus when she arrived in January as a 17-year-old early enrollee reminded Kelley of who she was as a first-year early enrollee playing for Florida in 2021. The two may have not figured it all out as 17-year-olds on a college campus, but they were both self-confident.聽
鈥淔irst thing I noticed [about Jones] was she was really outgoing,鈥� Kelley said. 鈥淎s a freshman coming in, there鈥檚 been two different spectrums of shy, quiet and like, 鈥極h, she knows who she is,鈥� and I think that is the thing I connected to her with.鈥澛�
The connection the two middle blockers have with one another is sibling-like.
鈥淚t kind of felt like [Kelley] was a big sister to me,鈥� Jones said. 鈥淪he is really similar to my sister Rainelle who was at Maryland. She鈥檚 been such a good help, like helping me get better mentally, physically, and just really helping me learn all the skills that she sees that I need.鈥�
Kelley helped out Jones from the get-go partially because she sees the potential that the 丑补蝉.听
鈥淲hen [Jones] first walked into the gym, I told her, 鈥榊ou are going to be great one day, and I am going to help you do this, and I want to win a National Championship with you,鈥欌�� Kelley said.
Hearing that vote of confidence from someone Jones used to admire while watching collegiate volleyball in high school helped the already self-confident first-year immensely.
鈥淚t鈥檚 crazy seeing one of the people I used to look up to have such confidence in me,鈥� Jones said. 鈥淚t gave me more confidence. It just felt really good in my heart that she believed that for me.鈥澛�
Jones isn鈥檛 even close to what her peak is. But with the workhorse mentality the first-year middle blocker has, the sky is the limit.
鈥淚 think she is a beautiful human being and has a lot to grow,鈥� Kelley said. 鈥淚 am excited to watch it for the next few years.鈥�