Senior Jordyn Pax excels in volleyball and tennis for the Quakers
By Mike Beas
Born into a military family, Jordyn Pax has lived in seven different states while growing up, including two stints each in Texas and Indiana.
Should Pax, the senior libero on the Plainfield volleyball team and owner of a 4.5 grade-point average, attend college out of state, the transition won’t be difficult. She was born in Mississippi with family residences eventually set up in Indiana, North Carolina, Florida, New York, Texas, Oklahoma, back to Texas and finally a return to Indiana.
Pax’s father, Jason, rose to lieutenant colonel status in the United States Air Force before retiring in 2018. The family moved back to Central Indiana early in the 2018-19 school year when Jordyn was a sophomore.
Her most difficult decision might be what sport to play at the next level.
Pax, the No. 1 singles player for the Quakers girls tennis program in the spring, broke ground as the school’s first state finalist two years ago. She didn’t get an opportunity to return as a junior after the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out all spring sports.
“We always kind of encouraged both of our kids to play multiple sports,” said first-year Plainfield volleyball coach Lori Pax, Jordyn’s mother. “Tennis and volleyball go hand-in-hand because of the quickness and lateral movement she uses.
“One of the things that made Jordyn love volleyball is the team aspect of it. It’s definitely a change of pace for her, but she’s very determined and very resilient. Jordyn can adjust and adapt to whatever gets thrown at her because of her background.”
Pax did a Q&A with ICON:
Q: You could have focused solely on tennis. What is it about volleyball that made you want to play that sport?
A: The thing about volleyball is my personality shows through. I’m a very outgoing person, and I like to cheer on my teammates. It’s important to be because being able to help your teammates makes them play better and it makes you play better.
Q: Because of your dad’s career, you’ve had to change schools every few years while growing up. How has this helped you mature?
A: It’s made me more respectful toward my elders and toward my coaches and allowed me to just push through challenges. I definitely think it has made me grow as a person. Just being able to use sports as a way to make friends has helped me so much.
Q: What sport would you like to play in college, and what would you like to major in?
A: My entire life I had the mindset that I was going to play tennis in college, but I realized I was pretty good in volleyball, and I love it. I want to be open to maybe playing both. I maybe want to be a cardiovascular surgeon. I just know I want to go into the medical field.
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