Kendall Meisner
ASU Student Journalist

Volleyball: Mental barrier doesn't stop Jordann Delozier

October 12, 2018 by Kendall Meisner, Arizona State University


Hard-working, passionate and tough are three qualities that could be used to describe Jordann Delozier, but a mental roadblock has been in the way of her confidence and overall success.

The 5-foot-7 junior at Gilbert Classical Academy started her volleyball career in seventh grade when she realized she needed a sport that was fast paced and intense, but later found it as a way to release tension as well.

Although the sport released tension for Delozier, she said the hardest part of it all is her mental toughness.

“I get down on myself, and I always think I can do more,” Delozier said. “It’s just about getting over my mental barrier.”

The goal for Delozier, who plays the opposite hitter position, is to play in college, and with colleges beginning to strike an interest in her, she realized she cannot be thinking negatively about herself if she wants to go on in the future and play.

“Knowing that it’s really happening (college), I have to really step over that barrier and just get out of my head,” Delozier said.

Struggling mentally has been tough for her, but her passion for the game and her resilience outweighs the negativity.

“She’s incredibly strong,” teammate Austyn Jones, a sophomore, said. “She’s tough. She puts her team before herself always. Sometimes there are times when she gets down on herself. However, she overcomes it 99 percent of the time.

“She destroys her body just to get that ball for her team because she’s passionate.”

Coach Kiana Hiapo said it has been a long battle for Delozier mentally, but she has seen tremendous growth in the girl, this year especially.

“She has a giant heart for the game,” Hiapo said. “That’s why she goes into the bleachers and does all of those things that are the extra mile for a lot of other people.”

Hiapo said the goal wasn’t to fix her mental state, but to smooth out the things that were making her frustrated and would make the team stronger as a whole.

Delozier began to make things more about her team and what they need to perform so that her goals of winning and succeeding could become a reality.

“Everything would hold her back within her mind,” Hiapo said. “But when she thought about her family first, the ohana, which is the team, she was able to tap into the true heart of volleyball that wasn’t hindered by perfection or frustration.”

Meditating with the team before practice and games, as well as making time for herself are important for Delozier’s mental strength.

Taking her mind off volleyball for a bit helps her, and she tries to think about all the good things she’s done instead of focusing on the bad.

“We are trying to let her know that she is enough, and she can do even more as long as those mental blocks don’t stop her,” Hiapo said.