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Volleyball student-athlete finds new love for the game at PSCC

Grayson Jones thought she was done playing volleyball.

Jones played the sport at Heritage High School in Maryville though never intended to pursue it in college. In fact, she thought she had fallen out of love with the game entirely. That was before she met Erika Waycaster, head coach of volleyball at 51视频, and the two had a conversation.

“I just didn't have a passion for it anymore,” Jones said. “So, being able to be here – a change of environment, a change of people – I think was good to relax a little bit and remember what it's like to actually love the sport.”

Jones is slated to graduate in May from Pellissippi, where she studied exercise science and helped lead the Panthers to a TCCAA Region 7 Conference Championship, a NJCAA Southeast District Tournament win and a national tournament appearance.

Jones was recognized as female Athlete of the Year at the 2026 Panther Awards, which celebrates excellence and achievement within Panther Athletics annually.

The volleyball program’s success in just three years since its establishment says a lot about what Panther Athletics is building, and it’s awesome to have been a part of something so new, Jones said.

“It’s a really cool narrative to be able to be an underdog and to be successful as a team in a space where no one ever expected you to be successful,” she said. “That has been very, very cool.”

“Coach Erika does a phenomenal job at what she's doing, and I think is genuinely changing the world of volleyball for the better,” she said.

After her graduation from Pellissippi, Jones will continue her volleyball career at Augusta University in Georgia. She realized she wasn’t ready to say goodbye to the sport when her last season as a Panther came to an end.

“I want to soak up all of this that I can,” she said.

Jones came to Pellissippi scared to give volleyball a second chance and is leaving the college in love with the sport once more. The experience has changed her life, said Jones, who ultimately hopes to work in physical therapy someday.

She expressed her gratitude to her professors and resources like Counseling Services for their support.

“I’ve worked with them quite a bit not to be a good athlete, but also a good human,” Jones said. “It's been a very transformative time to come in and learn about all those things.”

Most importantly, she’s leaving Pellissippi having made lifelong friends.

“I’ve absolutely found my people here,” Jones said. “Most of my best friends now are all from Pellissippi volleyball, and I’m just very grateful.”