One of two Winthrop Eagles honored for their performance at the Virginia University volleyball Tournament earlier this month, Jana Owens began playing volleyball when she was in third grade.
In fifth grade, she joined a club team that her coach had recommended in order to play more competitively. Volleyball wasn’t her only sport though — growing up, she also played soccer, basketball and softball.
“I played at the club level for all of those sports, but ended up dropping them when I got to high school to focus on volleyball,” Owens said. “I did run track in middle school and high school for the school team as well.”
As she focused on volleyball in high school, Owens began playing the setter position.
“I never really had a ‘position’ in volleyball growing up. I played a little bit of everything,” she said. “It wasn’t until my sophomore year of high school that I started setting and at that time my coach told me I wasn’t good enough to play [Division-I].”
Despite her coach’s opinion, Owens said she began reaching out to schools at every level of the recruiting process and that same year committed to play at a Division-I school.
While Owens said she remembers receiving an email from Winthrop in high school, she was looking to play at a bigger school, which is why she ended up at Appalachian State University her freshman year.
“I really enjoyed my time at App school-wise,” Owens said. “It’s a beautiful campus and I enjoyed the environmental consciousness of the school as it involves my major.
“The volleyball team is a really competitive program and I got a lot better while I was there, but I just didn’t click with all the girls relationship-wise. I also had both of my assistant coaches leave in the spring of my freshman year who I really enjoyed.”
After one year at App State, Owens transferred to Winthrop. She appeared in 15 matches (almost twice as many as her freshman season at App) and totaled 163 assists.
Owens wore the number 24 her sophomore year but switched to the number six in 2020.
Her junior year, she recorded a team-high 352 assists, as well as 112 digs through 16 matches. This season she’s off to a hot start with 227 assists through eight games.
Her 124 assists across Winthrop’s three wins in the Virginia Tournament earned her All-Tournament Team honors.
“It’s always reassuring and rewarding to be recognized for your efforts but I honestly wasn’t expecting anything,” Owens said. “Especially in my position, as cliche as it is, it’s really not possible without my teammates. They make my job so much easier.”
Owens said her goals this year are to maintain a good team hitting percentage, be a consistent leader with high energy and push the team to reach its goals.
“Our team goal is always to win conference and the first round of the NCAA [Tournament] but we also picked a motto for this season – we over me,” Owens said.
“With 20 girls on the team it’s inevitable that not everyone will play, but we need everyone to win. So we picked that motto to keep reminding ourselves that each person plays a role and that it takes everyone to reach our goals.”
Owens, who is a senior, said she has not ruled out using her “covid eligibility year” and playing collegiately for one more season.
“I would like to go to grad school [because] I want to be an environmental engineer and I only have an environmental science degree. Unfortunately, Winthrop doesn’t have the grad program that I’m looking for,” Owens said.
“It really just depends on what opportunities are available because I’d like to stay in the Charlotte area, so I know that limits my options.”
Owens and the Eagles take on the South Carolina Gamecocks next on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Winthrop Coliseum.
