In Their Own Words: Jessica Rieble

My time as both a student and a volleyball player at UC San Diego has been incredible. I have been lucky enough to have had the most amazing volleyball and strength coaches, who not only pushed me as a player, but also helped me grow as a person over the last four years. The UC San Diego athletic community became my social network and it has been really special to have friends across teams.

My friends and teammates truly shaped my college and athletic experience. UC San Diego has been the perfect place for me as a student and volleyball player - so much so that I encouraged my younger sister, Sarah, to look into playing for the Tritons. Cheering Sarah on in games and playing with her in practice was another part that made this past season so incredible.

I am so proud of the 2019 season our team had. Not only was it the most successful season we have had in four years, but we had so much fun throughout. From preseason conditioning, to playing in Alaska, to qualifying for NCAAs, our team grew super close and I loved spending time with my teammates outside of volleyball. The memories from my senior season are the most memorable and special moments of my entire career at UC San Diego. The hard work everyone put in made every match so much more special. It was the five-set matches and high-intensity games, full of energy and pressure, that were especially a privilege to have played with my team.

I am happy to have ended my career with this extraordinary team and it is fulfilling to know that we had a great finish to end the Division 2 era. It is devastating that my friends in winter and spring sports had their seasons cut short and it makes me even more grateful to have played my senior year. I'm grateful for the fans and for the Pep Band, which always had the best cheers (triple the score!!!). Finally, I'm grateful to have had so much fun with my team and to have served as the captain of the 2019 Tritons.

I graduated in winter quarter with my degree in management science and will start my job at Thermo Fisher Scientific in July in their two-year Operations Leadership Development Program. I would like to have the opportunity to work internationally and I hope to pursue an MBA in the future.

Jessica Rieble is a senior middle blocker on the UC San Diego women's volleyball team. Following the 2019 season, the co-captain earned AVCA All-America Second Team, AVCA All-Region First Team, and All-CCAA First Team recognition. In October, Rieble was named the AVCA National Player of the Week, the first Triton to pick up that title during the team's Division II era. The management science major out of Roosevelt College was a three-time CCAA Player of the Week selection as a senior. 

"In Their Own Words" is an on-going series highlighting UC San Diego senior scholar-athletes. Below are previous "In Their Own Words" stories:

• Derek Fordham (swim and dive)
• Alyssa Wing (softball)
• Chloe Wight (tennis)
• Melanie Jaffe (rowing)
• Ryan Lew (volleyball)
• Reilly Gallagher (water polo)
   

About UC San Diego
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program begins a new era in 2020 as a member of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors during its time in Divisions II and III. A total of 82 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 37 have been awarded prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.

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For complete coverage and information regarding UC San Diego Athletics, follow the Tritons online at UCSDtritons.com and through social media on Twitter (@ucsdtritons), Instagram (@ucsdtritons) and Facebook (ucsdtritons). For more information on UC San Diego Women's Volleyball, follow on Instagram (@ucsdwvb) and Twitter (@ucsdwvb).