Jennifer Fekpe, Volleyball and Women's Track Senior, Exercise Science
Hilliard, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson HS
I WILL do my best to put a ring on everyone's finger that is a part of the volleyball program
I WILL get a 3.8 GPA or higher
I WILL do my best to represent Capital University and everyone who made me in the best manner possible
When asked in an old commercial whether he was going to play baseball or football that upcoming year, Deion Sanders responded, "Both." This also is the case for Jennifer Fekpe, who serves and spikes with the volleyball team in the fall and races for the Crusader track team in the winter and spring. Sports Information Assistant Bryan DeArdo caught up with Fekpe to talk to her about both sports.
BD: How did you come to the decision to play volleyball and run track at Capital after transferring from the University of Akron?
JF: I came to the decision to play volleyball at Capital because Coach Briggs tried to recruit me and I wanted to go somewhere I could network for my career and since I want to be a coach, Columbus was the perfect place since many coaches that are in the Columbus area coached me. I decided to run track because I ran in high school and it was what I originally wanted to do as a collegiate sport in college before I got injured.
BD: What is the best aspect of both programs?
JF: The best aspect of the track team is the camaraderie among all of the athletes even though the team is large and the coach/player relationship. The team is very welcoming and friendly. The best part of the volleyball team is the high competitiveness of everyone including the coaches. I like that because I love to win.
BD: Are you hands-down the fastest member of the volleyball team?
JF: That's a funny question (laughs). Just because I run track doesn't mean that I'm the fastest. There are plenty of people who should be on the track team that aren't. But I like to think of myself as somewhat fast. If I didn't have that confidence in myself I probably would not have gone out for the team. But I am definitely not as fast at long distance as I am at sprinting.
BD: Does the work you do with the track team correlate at all to your success with volleyball?
JF: Yes. Being a multi-sport athlete will always enhance ones performance in their main sport because different sports work different muscles. Running track increased my endurance that I need for five-game matches, increased my vertical and explosiveness by working on starts, blocks, and driving my knees and hips, and it also made me more flexible and stronger because running is a full body workout and requires a lot of stretching so that you don't get hurt.
BD: Do volleyball coach Pam Briggs and track coach Fred Barends accommodate your schedule if practices and events conflict?
JF: Yes they are very flexible which is great. They care about you as a person first and then everything else follows.
BD: What do you like to do when you are not studying and competing in sports?
JF: I like to play volleyball with my other volleyball friends. I like to draw when I can, listen to music, and watch comedies or action movies. But spending time with the people I love is always at the top of the list so I try to do all of that with all of them.
BD: How does Capital's atmosphere compare to the one at the University of Akron?
JF: Capital is really nice and welcoming so the transition was easy. I also like how the classes are a little more challenging and it's easier to ask questions in class.
BD: What are your volleyball and track individual and team goals for this year?
JF: My goal in a sport is always to get better, make my team better, and win. The team goals are generally the same it's just how to go about it that varies from year to year.
BD: Talk about your Exercise Science major and how you would like to utilize your education the future?
JF: I love learning about the human body and how it works and how to keep it working efficiently. I think it's an important field of study because without it no one would be able to do any other profession efficiently because you have to be healthy in order to be able to keep working. I want to be a head coach at the collegiate level because I want to have an effect on how young athletes are socialized through athletics. It is a great way to be a teacher and shape the minds of young individuals to benefit society in the future.