Editor’s note: This is a regular feature profiling senior athletes at Bryant High School.
Kayla Jolley
NAME: Kayla Jolley
PARENTS: Shelley Jolley and Ray DePriest
SIBLINGS: Half brothers and sisters; there’s five.
FAVORITE SUBJECT IN SCHOOL: Pottery
WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME? Either relax or go run.
FAVORITE FOOD: Arroz Mi Pueblitos from Mi Ranch.
FAVORITE MUSIC ARTIST OR GROUP: Rixton, “Me and My Broken Heart.”
FAVORITE MOVIE: Bridesmaids
FAVORITE TV SHOW: Gossip Girl
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TOY AS A KID? Probably, little string-ball things where you throw it and it comes back at you.
WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS AFTER HIGH SCHOOL? To go to OBU and play softball, study Kinesiology.
OTHER THAN YOUR PARENTS, WHO HAS HAD THE BIGGEST INFLUENCE ON YOUR LIFE? My summer softball coach, Danny Muhlenberg; he’s been a huge influence on everything. He’s just pushed me to do better at softball and at school. He encouraged me to go to OBU because I was iffy about it. He said, if you really like it, don’t worry about stuff.
FAVORITE THING ABOUT SOFTBALL: The excitement in the dugout when we get a bunch of hits and people are scoring. Everybody gets so loud and happy.
POSITION: Pitcher and right field
WHAT’S YOUR APPROACH AT THE PLATE? Just to hit the ball as hard as I can.
WHAT’S YOUR APPROACH PITCHING? Start off with a strike because then you’ve pretty much won the battle with the hitter.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE SEASON SO FAR? So far, we’re doing a lot better than last year and we’re more confident with each other. We talk more. We don’t just get upset. We pick each other up like we’re family.
WHAT’S BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT TO THE SEASON SO FAR? Probably not getting our butts completely whooped by Sheridan.
WHAT’S IT GOING TO TAKE FOR THE TEAM TO BE SUCCESSFUL THE REST OF THE WAY? Just keep doing what we’re doing, work a little harder at hitting, and just keep attacking like we have been.
TALK ABOUT YOUR GAME. WHAT ARE YOU MOST CONFIDENT IN YOUR ABILITY TO DO? My pitching.
WHAT DO YOU WORK HARDEST IN PRACTICE TO IMPROVE ON? Everything. I work on pitching, fielding, hitting; any little thing I can work on, I work on it.
AFTER YOU’RE THROUGH PLAYING SOFTBALL AT BHS, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL REMEMBER MOST FONDLY ABOUT IT? I’m probably going to remember most just all the friends I’ve made. I mean becoming close to everybody not just in softball but outside of softball. And all the life lessons it taught me. All the crazy adventures we’ve had with coach (Debbie Clark) and buses and just so many things.
