It was the most watched college volleyball match in history, peaking with 2.1 million viewers as the University of Texas, Austin beat Nebraska 3-0 to win the NCAA Division 1 Championship in Tampa, Fla.
Any Redhawks fans or students watching might have noticed a familiar face on the court as Redhawks volleyball player and 2020 graduate Jenna Wenaas was on the court helping Texas win the national title.
“Winning was really surreal, it was like an emotional high, and I’m still feeling that right now,” Wenaas said. “I would say it’s kinda like a full circle feeling of just like all the work you put in for a lot of years, but especially just this season.”
This was UT’s second consecutive title, and Wenaas was not just a player on the team, she was a vital one. The 6’1” senior athlete had nine kills and four blocks, putting up the second best statistics on the team.
“I definitely [dreamed] about it, I think the main thing coming out of high school was like, I really wanted to go to a Final Four,” Wenaas said. “It was kinda just like the cherries on top of my original dream of going to a Final Four. Yes, everyone wants to win a national championship, but I think for me I just really wanted to go to a Final Four, [and] winning was just even better.”
But Wenaas isn’t new to success, being the number three volleyball recruit of her class, a varsity athlete as a freshman, and holding the title of all time kill leader at Liberty, Wenaas originally committed to the University of Minnesota for volleyball. However, after three years at Minnesota, Wenaas transferred to UT and continued playing volleyball there.
“I transferred because I kind of was just looking for something new,” Wenaas said. “The coach at Minnesota left, that wasn’t really fully the reason, [and] I also wanted to give something else a try. I also kind of wanted to be closer to home.”
Wenaas is grateful for her switch, not just for the national title that came out of it, but for the teammates and staff at UT.
“I think I was very lucky with the group I transferred in with,” Wenaas said. “They were super welcoming and super nice. From the start, I felt like I belonged and I could have a voice on the team. I think they are super hard working, the responsibilities that they have for us there were more things to remember on your own, which ultimately was good.”
The UT staff and team have not been the only people helping her accomplish her dreams or impacting her life. Wenaas reflects on the times she had as a Redhawk, thanking the Liberty athletic department for contributing to her successes.
“In a lot of different high school programs, they’ll be like, the kids that are better either get like different treatment, or coaches won’t get on to them because they just want them to play well,” she said. “I think Womble (former head girls’ volleyball coach Ui Womble) did a great job of getting on to us, or just keeping me focused, or honestly humbling me and telling me to keep working hard. So I think her and coach Hill (former assistant coach) did a great job, and I’m very grateful for that.”
Set to graduate December of 2024, Wenaas will have another year of volleyball at UT. With lots of experience under her belt, Wenaas shares a message to all high school athletes.
“I would just say that perseverance is a large part of athletics,” Wenaas said. “It’s never going to be easy. The people that say it’s easy or make it look easy, it’s just not. I think that’s something that I definitely have learned, because from the outside looking in at other athletes like lives or success, it’s like why isn’t this success coming to me. But it’s not easy for them either, everyone [is] on their own journey, [and] it’s definitely something that you just have to be patient with. Stick with it if you want to see the reward.”
