David LeBoeuf Sr.
April 20, 2018
WHERE CAN YOU RELAY?
April 20, 2018
NICHOLLS VOLLEYBALL PLAYER OVERCOMING HODGKIN’S LYMPHOMA
Freshman Katie Jones was committed to play volleyball for Nicholls State University in the fall of 2017, but a diagnosis of Stage 2 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in early July saw those plans quickly change.
A 6-2 outside/right-side hitter from Mont Belvieu, Texas, Jones verbally committed the day after her visit to Thibodaux. She already had a connection on the squad, competing alongside Colonel teammate Jennifer Olivarez on the Houston Stellar club team under coach Nancy Cole.
When the summer before her first semester came around, Jones noticed a swollen lymph node on her neck. A family doctor ran tests and saw no issue with the bump. Jones then visited M.D. Anderson, the most well-renowned cancer center in Houston, to receive a biopsy, and the doctors realized the lymph node was indeed cancerous.
“At that point [when I was told I had cancer] the world stood still,” Jones said. “I was thinking, ‘What in the world, why now?’ I waited a week to let it settle in so I wouldn’t be so emotional when I called coach.”
Even after being diagnosed, Jones originally intended to play during the 2017 season, setting up treatments with Ochsner in New Orleans while still attending classes. Not feeling well the first three days on campus, Jones went back to Ochsner only to realize she had a bacterial infection that dropped her white blood cell count to almost zero. That one-month span put Jones between a rock and a hard place.
“I kind of decided that it wasn’t the opportunity for me or the risk I needed to take,” Jones said. “So I thought that I should probably go home, sit down and think about it. I finally decided that I was going to leave this semester and not play in the fall – go home, get better and then come back.”
Jones would make a surprise return to Nicholls on Oct. 6 when the Colonels faced Abilene Christian for their annual cancer awareness match. With Jones watching from the stands, Nicholls pulled off an emotional five-set upset against the Wildcats, who finished runner-up at the SLC Tournament.
After undergoing two cycles of treatments, Jones was deemed cancer-free and received two more cycles that ran into mid-November. Jones returned to the court with her club team and then with the Colonels, quickly realizing that it would take time to get back to form.
“It wasn’t the same,” Jones said. “I felt really out of shape. I couldn’t jump, and I couldn’t lift a lot, so it was really hard for me. I’m not back to where I want to be or back to where I was, but it’s still great being here with everyone. This is my family.”
Although four months without training set Jones back on the court, she is still hopeful because of the progress she has made since returning.
“When I couldn’t do anything for that long my muscles deteriorated a lot so it’s hard getting back into it,” Jones said. “It’s like I’m starting from scratch. It has been hard to get back in shape, especially with my lungs – it feels like it’s hard to breath. In conditioning I have to go a lot easier than all the other girls do and I lift a lot lighter, but it’s definitely been a drastic change from the beginning to now.”
The recent hiring of head coach Jay Van Vark has Jones even more excited to return to the court for the Colonels in 2018.
“Coach Jay has been amazing honestly,” Jones said. “He’s made such a change in the last two months. He’s implemented new skills that I never would have thought of doing. He’s made me think more outside the box than I ever would have with any other coach. He’s more about what you’re doing in detail than the result of it. He’s done a lot for us the past two months that he’s been here.”
Nicollos valleyball player Katie james was diagnsed with Hodwkin’s Lymphoma in early JULY, which aspriration. now collegiate aspirations. Now cancer-free, Jones said she’s ready to get back into action and perform for her team, family and friends. The story first appeared at nichollas official athlete website, www.geaxxcofoneti.com.
