Jora Barnes is a senior on the Niles volleyball team.

What’s your biggest accomplishment as an athlete?

JB: Being asked to play for a college team.

What has been your biggest disappointment as an athlete?

JB: Not making varsity my sophomore year, but that pushed me to get better.

Who is a hero in your life? why?

JB: My mom, she’s been my No. 1 supporter through everything and raised me as a single mom.

When are you the most nervous in a game?

JB: When matches are neck and neck and it’s an important game like a championship or districts.

Describe an embarrassing athletic moment

JB: One of my teammates shanked a ball and I was chasing after it and I tripped over my own foot and fell.

How do you workout/train when by yourself?

JB: I live two minutes from the building that I do jump training at so I either go there or jog with my mom around our neighborhood.

What other sport would you like to compete in if you weren’t playing yours?

JB: If I wasn’t playing volleyball I would go back to doing competitive cheerleading. I did that for nine years.

Why are sports an important part of a high school experience?

JB: It makes high school more memorable and you get close with your teammates considering you’re with them every day, it makes everything more enjoyable.

How would you give away $50,000?

JB: I’ve raised money before for Lory’s Place because I went through grief counseling there and so I would give it to them.

If you could be the head coach of a team for a year what team would you choose?

JB: I would probably pick a Niles High School, high school was when I fell in love with the sport so it’d be cool to get to be apart of other kids falling in love with the same sport.

If I didn’t play sports I would…

JB: Probably use my time to work more to help save up for college.

What is the most challenging thing for you to do in your sport?

JB: Passing most definitely, I envy liberos/defensive specialists because they dig some hard balls.

If you could change one rule about your sport what would it be?

JB: It’s okay to be in the net, to a point. Hair touching or arms skimming the net should be okay.

What is the best compliment you’ve ever received?

JB: After my team and I won the St. Joe tournament we played Edwardsburg and I blocked their hardest hitter and after the game was over my coach came up to me and told me how proud she was of me and my hard work was paying off.

What’s the scariest thing you’ve had to do? Are you glad you did it?

JB: Being put in the back row when normally I just stay at the net, I’m glad I did it because it’s better myself as a player.

What’s the last thing you saw someone do that really impressed you?

JB: Watching my mom’s friend face breast cancer with a positive and determined attitude.

What’s your favorite hobby? Why?

JB: I volunteer at Lakeland Animal Care, I get to deal with animals for a few hours and learn what kinds of things veterinarians get to do daily.

Choose one word to describe yourself:

JB: Persistent.