CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – From Cleveland to the sidelines of NCAA March Madness Special Jennings is proving her name fits because what she’s building is truly special in Duval.
Leading from the bench, Jennings turned Jacksonville University women’s basketball team into a contender after a decade.
Jennings, in just her third season, has brought a championship run that comes new energy to the program and belief to her team.
“I think obviously being at the helm, it feels great,” Jennings said. “The hard labor from my staff and practicing day in and day out with the ladies. I feel like we’ve won kind of fast. It’s great for the city. I’m excited that we were able to bring the championship to the city, get the city involved and invested.”
Jennings came in with a vision to build a winner, and she’s done just that. Drawing from past success, she believed the foundation was there, and now it’s paying off.
“I felt like I can come here and kind of do the same thing, right? Build it,” Jennings said. “There was space for that and we were able to put the plan together and execute.”
But the foundation of who she is started in Cleveland, shaped by toughness and the influence of her grandmother. That edge still shows up in how she leads today.
“Cleveland’s a hard place,” Jennings said. “I was raised by a brilliant woman and I take a lot of who I am from that. From Cleveland, you’re known to be tough, not be walked over and show up and compete.”
That toughness now defines a Jacksonville team built on trust and accountability. It’s not perfect but it’s real.
“They’re a family,” she said. “They argue, they bicker and there’s days where it’s not fun. But you figure it out and when the time comes, you’re able to fall back on each other. It’s not perfect but it’s real. It’s authentic.”
That authenticity has carried the Dolphins through adversity this season, with players consistently stepping up for one another.
“They’ve been super resilient, they haven’t quit,” Jennings said. “And the beauty is that they’ve played for each other.”
Now, Jacksonville faces its biggest test yet: a first-round matchup against LSU, a nationally recognized powerhouse.
But Jennings isn’t backing down.
“LSU has to play Jacksonville too,” she said. “They’ve earned the recognition that they have. But make no mistake we have a very good team as well.”
The 15-seed Dolphins will take on the 2-seed Tigers in the NCAA Tournament’s Region 2 in Baton Rouge on Friday at 6 p.m.
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