November 21, 2014
Traditional volleyball powerhouse Mineral Area lands two Dexter talents on same day
DEXTER, Mo. - Mineral Area College coach Tim Copeland likes recruiting in the south and believes he found a perfect fit for his program Thursday afternoon when Dexter seniors Shyann Jines and Jessica Lindsey signed to play college volleyball at the two-year school...
DEXTER, Mo. - Mineral Area College coach Tim Copeland likes recruiting in the south and believes he found a perfect fit for his program Thursday afternoon when Dexter seniors Shyann Jines and Jessica Lindsey signed to play college volleyball at the two-year school.
"I like southern kids, and I mean that in a positive way," Copeland said of recruiting Jines and Lindsey. "Because of the hospitality that is given more down south those kids usually come up and are good to coach, excited to be there and the personalities usually fit really good with the other kids that I have. I look for talent, but I also look for the inner part of the kid to make sure they are going to go to class and graduate. I do a lot of history checking on the girls, and everything I have on these two on and off the court is very good, so we are really excited to have them up."
Jines and Lindsey were both immediately attracted to Mineral Area when they visited it.
"It felt like home when I went up there," Jines said. "I was kind of unsure on the way up there, but as soon as I got there I was like 'this is where I'm going.' The coach was a big factor in the decision and having Jessie with me for another two years makes me real excited."
Lindsey added: "I talked to a lot of colleges, but Tim was very adamant about having me come there. When I visited up there it felt right, like when you have a gut feeling . . . All the girls were nice on the volleyball team and the apartments were really nice. I just liked it. It's not big and it's not too small."
Jines and Lindsey were the only seniors on a 2014 Dexter varsity that finished 29-4-1, won the SCAA tournament for a second straight season, finished undefeated in regular-season SCAA play for a second straight season, won the 48-team Dig for Life Classic for the first time in school history and won its Class 3 district tournament for the first time in 14 years.
They were selected CO-MVP's of the Dexter team in 2014. Lindsey was also Player of the Year in the SCAA Conference for a second straight season in 2014, while Jines was selected Defensive Player of the Year. Both players also received all-district, all-conference and all-state honors their senior season.
"Coach Copeland has really brought the MAC volleyball program a long way," Dexter coach Carmen Morgan said. "I know him from when he coached when I was at Clearwater. He's a good guy and I think he'll take real good care of these two."
Jines and Lindsey both put together standout stats in 2014. Lindsey had 287 kills, 72 block kills, 138 digs, 15 ace serves, a 99.6 serving percentage and 1.84 passing percentage. Jines had 186 kills, 65 block kills, 118 digs, 21 ace serves, a 95.4 serving percentage and 1.87 passing percentage.
The impressive talent caught Copeland's attention before the girls started their senior season.
"I've been watching these two since last year," Copeland said. "They seemed like they fit what I was looking for in my program. I needed an outside hitter and a setter/defensive kind of kid, and I think Shyann will fit that. We will move Jessica from the middle to the outside and let her swing on the outside, and just go free a little bit."
Mineral Area has enjoyed its fair share of success under Copeland in the nine years he has coached the program.
"We went to the national tournament and took tenth in 2011 and were one game away from the national tournament this year," Copeland said. "I had 14 kids this year, and six graduated. They were a phenomenal group of kids to coach, probably the best I've had in 20 years just because they meshed and got along well.
"My recruiting part is I try to find the kids that not only fit my spots that are leaving me, but also that mesh with the school, system, style I run and mainly the kids that will be coachable," Copeland added. "If I've got a kid that is coachable and wants to give 100 percent I don't care who they are or where they are from I'll be OK with them and we will win. I think these kids fit that mold and I'm excited to have the opportunity to coach them, watch them grow up in life and teach them a little bit."
Jines said she looks forward to wearing the same uniform with Lindsey for a tenth straight year.
"The more people you've played with the better it is," Jines said. "We don't have to worry about team chemistry as much because me and Jessie have played together since fourth grade. Alex Spears from Perryville is also going up there and I played club ball with her last year. I'm really excited about getting to be on the team with both of them."
Both students said they plan on pursuing degrees in the medical field.
Jines wants to be an orthodontist.
"I was going to be a high school teacher and then go into administration, but it has changed," Jines said. "I went to the orthodontist, I've always loved teeth and I think I'm going to be a dental hygienist now. I'm going to take classes for my prerequisites and apply them towards that."
Lindsey plans on being a physical therapist.
"I'm going to get my associate's degree at MAC and then I'm going to transfer to a four-year school, finish up and get a degree in physical therapy," Lindsey said. "With being hurt all the time I've been in physical therapy a lot and I like what they do. I want to work with kids and I'm going to focus on early childhood physical therapy."
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