Bound for Pitt, Kentucky Volleyball Star Jessica Smallwood Says Faith Defines Her Above All

Elizabethtown’s Ms. Kentucky Volleyball opens up about her journey, her recruitment twist, her standout stats, and why her identity begins—and ends—with her faith.

Elizabethtown High School volleyball player, Jessica Smallwood, makes the dig in a match against Mercy Academy Oct. 7, 2025. The Panthers fell to Mercy in four sets. / Chris Adams

What can you say about Elizabethtown High School volleyball player Jessica Smallwood? That she is tall? A 6-foot-6 middle blocker/right-side hitter? She is Ms. Kentucky Volleyball? She’s committed to play at the volleyball powerhouse University of Pittsburgh?

Well, all true, but I think she would prefer it if you said she lives by faith. Or in more Biblical language, “Who do you say I am?”

Faith First: The Foundation of Jessica Smallwood’s Life

“My faith is a big thing,” Smallwood emphatically declared. “I’m a believer in Jesus Christ our Savior, so I believe he has a purpose for everything. No matter what trial I go through, no matter what loss I go through, even if it's the worst game I've ever played in my life — zero kills and I'm hitting negative — I believe he wants to teach us lessons through every little thing. And so I always keep that in mind.”

Though her career has been full of positives and successes, those elements of life are not always on the daily agenda. Smallwood turns to scripture for encouragement and peace; it’s her coping mechanism and growth development template.

“I always read the Bible, and he likes to speak to his children through his word,” she said. “And so when I'm reading the Bible, he brings out the things that I'm struggling with. And he's like, ‘You can do this, you can pray to me, you can talk to me.’ So I just lean on him through those trials and those adversities, and I try to just spread that love through my relationships and through school and through my teammates.”

A Star Career at Elizabethtown Comes to a Close

Adversity came quickly. Smallwood’s high school career is over; her Panther team was eliminated in the first round of the Kentucky Girls Volleyball State Tournament. In October, she was optimistic about an Elizabethtown state title.

“I feel really confident,” she expressed. “Our entire team wants it this year. That's what's bonding us, is our need to get past the region, get past the first round at state. We're just taking it one game at a time and just trying to grow from each and every win or loss.”

Why She Flipped From Florida to Pitt

Now, she will focus on school and graduation, and then head off to the Steel City.

However, Pitt wasn’t Smallwood’s first commitment. She selected the University of Florida in the summer of 2024, but pivoted after longtime Gator coach Mary Wise retired.

“So the main thing was Mary Wise, one of the greatest female volleyball coaches in the nation ever, retired from the University of Florida,” Smallwood said. “She was one of the main reasons that I wanted to go to Florida and just play for such an amazing program.”

The Elizabethtown senior handled the change responsibly, careful to do what was right and not burn any bridges.

“I let them know my thinking. I was completely honest through the whole process because I didn't want to backstab them or think I was backstabbing them,” she explained. “So I let them know that I was opening my recruitment. I also wanted to see how they were going to lead their program and how they were going to rebuild the Florida program. So I explored that, but I just found myself drawing closer to Pittsburgh and their coaching staff.”

Smallwood will once again be a Panther, and the Pitt staff is gaining a player who posted some impressive high school stats.

A Nationally Ranked Recruit With Dominant Numbers

She is the No. 47-ranked recruit in the nation, according to Prep Dig. In Kentucky High School individual rankings, Smallwood is third in kills (708), 21st in blocks-per-set average (1.18) and second in aces (121). Her vertical and attack jump statistics were not available.

“We recruited her initially,” said Pitt volleyball associate head coach and recruiting coordinator Kellen Petrone. “She's someone we wanted right away. Obviously, besides her size, power and athleticism, she is someone that we just connected with right away. So we were obviously pretty bummed when she decided to go to Florida and then felt really lucky when she opened up her recruitment again, and we had a chance to recruit her.”

Smallwood is Pitt’s first player from Kentucky and begins classes there in January. Her early arrival will allow her to participate in a May European tour and train in a new $250 million sports performance facility.

Pitt prefers to coach versatility, enabling players to perform in the front and back rows.

“We just think she's someone who can do it all,” Petrone said. “She can play at multiple positions. What we look for in people in her position are people that can score points. And not only is she able to do that with her block and the power of her arm, we see her as someone who's going to be able to do that in six rotations for us.”

How Club Volleyball—and Math—Sharpened Her Game

But how was Smallwood able to excel and record her stellar high school numbers? Club volleyball and math helped her out.

“Obviously, club we're playing talent all over the nation. You get to see a lot more systems, a lot more different types of players, and you learn and grow a lot, and you get a lot of new perspectives on the sport of volleyball.”

Smallwood plays for KIVA in Louisville, which she credits for much of her development and exposure.

“It just opens up a lot of relationships for you and a lot of opportunities,” she said. “It's awesome the amount of things club can do for you.”

The Pitt-commit brought her club experience and knowledge to Elizabethtown, which she thought could be useful to the team.

“In high school, you kind of have to bring that competitiveness with you. And so that's what I've been trying to do. As I've moved to KIVA, I kind of try to bring that to town with me.”

Math is Smallwood’s favorite subject. You know, math either comes to you easily, or it doesn’t come to you at all.

“It’s just simple,” she said. “It’s just clear cut. There's an answer to everything and there's a solution to everything.”

Family, Sand Volleyball, and Staying Grounded

Smallwood carries that mindset and approach to the court. If the set is going sideways, there’s always a fix, a solution to the problem.

“Sometimes, the team will get a kill on us and no one's there,” she said. “We’ll be like, ‘We need to adjust our defense to this way.’ And then, it just starts clicking, and we're racking up points and not getting kills on us. So being able to adjust on the volleyball court like that definitely relates to math.”

When she can exhale for a moment, Smallwood likes to hang with her sisters, who attend Campbellsville University, and play, of all things, volleyball. Sand volleyball, that is.

“I actually grew up doing gymnastics with my oldest sister, and so I had to quit after fifth grade because I was just too tall,” Smallwood said. “So we all kind of were able to connect through volleyball. We always like to play sand volleyball wherever we can. They both go to Campbellsville now, and they have sand volleyball courts. I just go over there and we'll play together.”

Who She Says She Is: “A Child of God”

It's no SMALL wonder she is one of the top high school players in the country. Yet again, it’s God, whom she praises for her athletic ability, and who she relies on for guidance in all matters.

“When I'm back serving, I'm just like, ‘Ok, God, it's just me and you right now.’ If it's game point, I'm serving, I just have to put my trust in him in that.”

So, who does Smallwood says she is?

“I’m a child of God…that's what defines me."

In totality?

"On and off the court."