Jackson's sister act paying off
Jim Thomas CantonRep.com sports writer
Stephanie and Alex Spencer are two reasons Jackson is winning.
GlenOak middle hitter Kailey Smith whacked the volleyball like it was an attacking snake.
Across the net, in the back row, Jackson's Stephanie Spencer only had time to blink as the ball shot at her feet. The 6-foot-1 Spencer dug it out and sent it back where it came from before teammate Brooke Bailey put it away and leapt into Spencer's arms, delighted with the effort.
"I've worked really hard on my back row defense this year," Spencer said of her clutch dig two weeks ago. "I think it's paid off."
Ironically, Spencer is usually the one pounding the rock at people. She and Bailey form one of Ohio's best tandem of outside hitters in the sport.
They are complemented by Stephanie's "little" sister, 5-9 Alexandra 'Alex' Spencer, who has shot her way into the rotation with some fine play for Division I's eighth-ranked Polar Bears.
"I'm really glad I get to play with Stephanie and Brooke this year," said Alex, who led Jackson in kills twice at Saturday's Northeast Ohio Power tournament. "It's a lot of fun."
It's always fun when you win, and Jackson has had tons of fun of late. One of two captains along with Olivia Zanolli, Stephanie Spencer's big swings have helped Jackson claim four straight district titles and a spot in the 2012 Division I state final.
There isn't anything on the volleyball court that Spencer can't do. Serve, serve-receive, dig, attack, block — the Georgia Southern University recruit does it all.
"My assistant coach, Mary Kate (Agona), says if you want to look at tape of serve-receive, Stephanie is probably on it," said Jackson head coach Jeff Walck. "Her platform (base) is perfect. She's under control.
"That's how she plays. I remember when she was a freshman. She played on the freshman team, but she played well enough that we pulled her up to the varsity (for postseason play). She had a lot of length, a lot of excitement.
"In the district final, she actually had the winning kill."
Walck said that Spencer's improvement stems from hard work as she grew into her body. But there's more to her game — and captaincy — than full swings.
"One of the things she said before the season was 'I'll do whatever you want me to do,' " Walck said. "That's before she signed (with Georgia Southern). That's pretty big. Some kids won't do that until after they've signed, if at all.
"But Stephanie is willing to go block the other team's best hitter. Or play the middle, without complaint. That says a lot about her."
Stephanie Spencer said, "We're not where we want to be yet. We're still pretty young as a team. But we're getting better."
Both Spencers came off winning Junior Olympic summer campaigns in which they went to nationals. That winning experience and positive attitude are what Walck wants in his players.
"Stephanie has been a great leader for us," he said. "Alex just turned 15, she's real young. We're pretty proud of her."
Reach Jim Thomas at (330) 580-8336 or jim.thomas@cantonrep.com.
On Twitter: @jthomasREP