By Rob Schabert, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – A volleyball junior who serves as a leader for her team and the entire Ohio Valley Conference student-athlete community, and a freshman who has been a key factor in helping lift the Tennessee Tech track & field program to an entirely new level with her record-setting performances and leadership on several platforms.
That's a simple description of what led to the selection of Alyssa Povey and D’Airrien Jackson as the Athletic Department's April co-recipients of the monthly Unsung Leader Award.
A 6-foot-3 middle blocker from Clifton, Idaho who has spent the past two season on the court for coach Dave Zelenock’s Golden Eagle volleyball team, Povey is the daughter of Brad and Leiza Povey. A secondary education major, she is on schedule to graduate next May following her senior season in volleyball.
After coming to Tech in 2013 following one season at the College of Southern Idaho, Povey played in all 31 of the team’s matches in 2015. She ranked third on the team in total kills with 164 and was the Golden Eagle leader with 87 total blocks. Her 223.5 points per set ranked third on the team.
“Alyssa not only leads by example, but vocally on a daily basis,” said Zelenock. “She helps others, even when it might threaten her own starting role on the team, and she never takes a play off.”
In addition to her play on the volleyball team, Povey is also an active member of Tech’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and holds one of the positions that represents the University within the OVC at SAAC meetings in Nashville.
“Alyssa puts in the work for academics, volleyball and SAAC every single day,” Zelenock said. “Anyone that knows her can attest that she is someone who deeply cares about helping others.”
In her two seasons, Povey has piled up 273 career kills and defensively, she has rejected 149 opponent attacks.
Jackson, meanwhile, has provided leadership to a Tech track & field team that is making huge strides toward becoming a conference contender.
The daughter of Darick Jackson and Nicole Bizer, she comes to Tech from Santa Clara, Calif., and is majoring in psychology. She has been successful in the classroom as well as on the track, and has been involved in leadership opportunities throughout her rookie season under head coach Wayne Angel.
“D’Airrien is a trailblazer, both as an athlete and a student,” Angel said. “She is a role model to her teammates in the classroom as well as on the track. Her passion for leadership, commitment to her teammates, and the mission of the team is second-to-none.”
Angel says that Jackson is an athlete to watch in the future, but she also been a standout in the present. Jackson was named the OVC Freshman of the Year for the 2016 outdoor season, just days before she went out and became the OVC champion in the 400-meter dash. She also helped Tech to third- and fourth-place finishes in the two relays at the OVC championships.
Posting the 30th fastest time in the nation and second best among all freshman at 400 meters, Jackson qualified for the NCAA Preliminary Championships, which are taking place this weekend in Jacksonville, Fla., with an opportunity to advance to the NCAA Championships next month in Eugene, Ore.
“Her focus on being all that she can be certainly makes her a young lady to watch in the future,” Angel said.
Named to the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll as well as capturing USTFCCA All-Academic honors, Jackson is also on the brink of qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Trials.
“D’Airrien is a dedicated and committed athlete who is passionate about her studies as well as athletics Her hard work is finally starting to pay off. She has a very bright future ahead of her and we are truly fortunate that she is exhibiting these leadership qualities at Tennessee Tech.”
The Unsung Leader Award was created in 2014-15 in order to recognize leadership by Tech's student-athletes. An award presented each month throughout the academic year.
The previous Unsung Leader Awards for 2015-16 have gone to McKenzie McCloud (soccer/September), Luke Woodason (football/October), Stephen Bush (football/November), Tyler Brazelton (baseball/December), Sarah Brandt (track/January), Zach Malone (football/February), and Amity Brown (softball/March).
"This award recognizes leadership, which many times isn't reflected in headlines or other ways," said Director of Athletics Mark Wilson. "Sometimes it's behind-the-scenes leadership that makes everybody better.
"These young men and women are leaders, pure-and-simple, not doing the right thing for recognition but to make themselves, their teammates, and their teams better," Wilson said.
One student-athlete each month, nominated by members of the athletics staff, is selected and recognized for exemplifying outstanding leadership qualities. The leadership can be shown on the field, in the weight room, at practice, in the classroom, in study hall, on campus, in the community, for a student club or organization.
This award honors a varsity student-athlete who has made a positive impact on their team and the Tennessee Tech community as a whole, through his or her dedication to demonstrating leadership traits, such as:
* Keep Learning, Growing, and Improving
* Follow Through with Excellence
* Accomplish More than Expected
* Inspire and Motivate Others
Unsung Leader Award winners in the initial season in 2014-15 were Ellen Conti (volleyball in September), Austin Tallant (football/October), Geoffrey Sambu (cross country/ November), Courtney Smith (volleyball/ December), Jordan Hopkins (baseball/ January), and Olivia Bennett (softball/February), Haley Davidson (golf/ March), and Mariah Dean (basketball/April).
