CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – From Cleveland to the sidelines of NCAA March Madness Special Jennings is proving her name fits because what she\u2019s building is truly special in Duval.<\/p>\n
Leading from the bench, Jennings turned Jacksonville University women\u2019s basketball team into a contender after a decade.<\/p>\n
Jennings, in just her third season, has brought a championship run that comes new energy to the program and belief to her team. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think obviously being at the helm, it feels great,\u201d Jennings said. \u201cThe hard labor from my staff and practicing day in and day out with the ladies. I feel like we\u2019ve won kind of fast. It\u2019s great for the city. I\u2019m excited that we were able to bring the championship to the city, get the city involved and invested.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jennings came in with a vision to build a winner, and she\u2019s done just that. Drawing from past success, she believed the foundation was there, and now it\u2019s paying off. <\/p>\n
\u201cI felt like I can come here and kind of do the same thing, right? Build it,\u201d Jennings said. \u201cThere was space for that and we were able to put the plan together and execute.\u201d<\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
\u201cCleveland\u2019s a hard place,\u201d Jennings said. \u201cI was raised by a brilliant woman and I take a lot of who I am from that. From Cleveland, you\u2019re known to be tough, not be walked over and show up and compete.\u201d<\/p>\n
That toughness now defines a Jacksonville team built on trust and accountability. It\u2019s not perfect but it\u2019s real. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re a family,\u201d she said. \u201cThey argue, they bicker and there\u2019s days where it\u2019s not fun. But you figure it out and when the time comes, you\u2019re able to fall back on each other. It\u2019s not perfect but it\u2019s real. It\u2019s authentic.\u201d<\/p>\n
That authenticity has carried the Dolphins through adversity this season, with players consistently stepping up for one another.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve been super resilient, they haven\u2019t quit,\u201d Jennings said. \u201cAnd the beauty is that they\u2019ve played for each other.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now, Jacksonville faces its biggest test yet: a first-round matchup against LSU, a nationally recognized powerhouse.<\/p>\n
But Jennings isn\u2019t backing down.<\/p>\n
\u201cLSU has to play Jacksonville too,\u201d she said. \u201cThey\u2019ve earned the recognition that they have. But make no mistake we have a very good team as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 15-seed Dolphins will take on the 2-seed Tigers in the NCAA Tournament\u2019s Region 2 in Baton Rouge on Friday at 6 p.m.<\/p>\n
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