Daily Pilot High School Athlete of the Week: Blevins made Sage Hill go
Jade Blevins moved around a considerable amount growing up, from Laguna Beach to Arizona to Texas and back to Laguna.
In every spot, volleyball was a constant for Jade. Her mom, Lynn, was the head coach at Paradise Valley High in Arizona. Now Lynn, who was known as Lynn Kessler when she played volleyball at Laguna Beach High in the early 1980s and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, coaches the younger players at Prime Volleyball Club. Jade also plays there.
Moving around as a kid was fine for Jade, who came back to Laguna Beach in sixth grade. As it turns out, there are gymnasiums everywhere.
“I’ve always kind of been in the gym,” said Jade, whose dad, James, played basketball at Culver City High and also at Cal Poly.
Jade is now a junior at Sage Hill School. She’s turned from spectator in the gym to participant, and the Lightning girls’ volleyball team has been reaping the benefits.
Blevins, the Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week, has moved around on the court as well. As a freshman for Sage Hill she played opposite hitter, but she transitioned into the setter position a year ago following the graduation of Maddy Abbott, who now plays at the University of Michigan.
That class of 2015, which included players like Abbott, Kekai Whitford (LMU) and Halland McKenna (Stanford), was special for Sage Hill. Blevins said her favorite athletic moment remains winning the CIF Southern Section Division 3AA title with that team.
“It was really fun,” she said. “The crowds we would get were insane, and it was great having those kind of role models. They were very accepting, and they definitely showed me the ropes early. They were very hard-working people, and probably the nicest people I’ve ever met to this day.”
Even without the talented trio, Blevins has helped the Lightning keep up a high level of play. Sage Hill went unbeaten in the Academy League this season for just the second time in program history. The Lightning earned the top seed in the CIF Southern Section Division 3 playoffs before they were upset on the road at No. 4 Lakewood St. Joseph in five sets in a semifinal match Nov. 8.
Sage still earned a berth into the CIF State Southern California Regional Division II playoffs, where the Lightning suffered another tough loss Wednesday night in the first round. This one ended the Lightning’s season after No. 6-seeded Sage Hill fell at home to No. 11 Claremont in five sets, 25-20, 25-19, 21-25, 16-25, 17-15.
Still, credit Blevins for carrying on the Sage Hill legacy of success. She was one of three team captains this season, along with senior outside hitter Jamie Dailey and senior defensive specialist Sarah Lowey.
“She’s still only a junior,” Sage Hill Coach Dan Thomassen said. “From her sophomore to junior year, she went from good to fantastic in one year. Her blocking, her attacking at the net, her setting, her defense, her serve — every single aspect of her game has gotten noticeably better. For a good player to make that kind of improvement is pretty special. It sets a great example for the girls.”
Thomassen said he’s also seen that kind of effort from Blevins in the classroom. Thomassen, who teaches science at Sage Hill, is good friends with chemistry teacher Kerry Langdale. Blevins had Langdale’s class last year and excelled despite feeling challenged at first.
“Every time we talk about Jade, it’s not really about volleyball,” Thomassen said. “It’s about how she crushed the chemistry class.”
Blevins has a lot going for her. Last year, she committed to play college volleyball at the University of Portland. She said she enjoys the small-school environment, but she will also enjoy the challenge of playing for a Division 1 program. The Pilots already have upset teams like BYU and the University of San Diego this season.
“When I was a freshman, I used to think that I wanted to go to a giant UC school,” Blevins said. “But I started visiting, and I decided that a smaller school is definitely where I want to be.”
She fit in well at Sage Hill this season, as a setter on what Thomassen called his deepest team. Blevins knew that players like Dailey, sophomores Sydnee Francis and Amiyah De’Long, junior Kayla Gratzer or even freshman middle blocker Danielle Beder were more than capable of putting the ball away.
The next move for Blevins is the one to Portland, but she still has her senior season to go at Sage Hill. She said she expects the Lightning to be strong again next year.
It might take Blevins a while to recover from this season ending on Wednesday night, but then again maybe not. On Thursday, she was flying up to Portland for a quick visit.
She knows that all she has to do is follow her own three-step recovery plan.
“I’m a very competitive person,” Blevins said. “I tend to take losses somewhat personally. I’d say my stages are anger, sadness and acceptance.”
Jade Blevins
Born: Dec. 10, 1999
Hometown: Laguna Beach
Height: 5 feet 9
Sport: Volleyball
Year: Junior
Coach: Dan Thomassen
Favorite food: Olives
Favorite movie: “Super 8”
Favorite athletic moment: Helping Sage Hill win the CIF Southern Section Division 3AA title as a freshman.
Week in review: Blevins recorded 42 assists to help top-seeded Sage Hill win a CIF Southern Section Division 3 quarterfinal at Saddleback Valley Christian, before losing in five sets at No. 4 St. Joseph’s in the semifinals.
