Ariana Joubert’s drive to seek new challenges lets her make an instant impact
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Ariana Joubert went out of her comfort zone entering her senior year of high school. She transferred from Chicago inner city’s De La Salle to Montini Catholic, a small private school in the suburbs 45 minutes away from downtown.
“Trust me, as a parent I was terrified. But the overall transition to Montini was great.” said Allan, Joubert’s father.
Changing scenery was nothing new for Joubert. A few years prior, she begged her parents to let her switch travel teams to one that would push her more. She switched from First Alliance to Chicago Elite, a club where she had played since starting the sport.
“In this particular case, she knew the level of volleyball that I’m playing right now is fine, but it’s not going to get me to where I ultimately want to go,” Allan said.
At First Alliance, Joubert built a relationship with Patricia Samolinski, her 16U coach who later became the head coach at Montini Catholic. Joubert helped the Broncos to a school-record 40 wins as a senior, recording 159 kills and 51 blocks en route to an Illinois 2A state championship.
Despite being a true freshman, Joubert’s competitiveness has allowed her to make an instant impact on the floor for Syracuse this season. She’s been a rotational piece for the Orange, but as the season has progressed, she’s increased her role by appearing in each of SU’s 24 sets during Atlantic Coast Conference play.
As one of two true freshmen on the team, she’s learned quickly what it takes to be successful. The fast paced play was “a good challenge,” but has been “an enjoyable experience.”
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“Her work ethic is really good and she’s very coachable,” head coach Bakeer Ganesharatnam said. “She’s like a sponge because she wants to get better. There’s a lot of technical aspects we need to improve on, but she’s getting better every day.”
When Joubert joined First Alliance, she knew there was room for improvement, which she accomplished by traveling nationally to play top players. Right before the pandemic, First Alliance defeated the No. 1 club team in the country, Academy Volleyball Cleveland.
The victory symbolized why Joubert wanted to switch to First Alliance. She wanted to face adversity and learn what it was like to respond when things aren’t going well.
Against Wake Forest, Syracuse came back to force a tiebreaker after losing the first two sets. With a 9-7 lead, Alyssa Bert bent low for a dig, sending the ball to Riley Hoffman, who set up a perfect attempt for Joubert. As she rose, waiting to spike the ball, Joubert realized she misjudged its climax. Joubert barely contacted the ball as it crashed to the ground in a crucial point for Wake.
Despite her miscue, Joubert wasn’t fazed. She stayed in and helped Syracuse score five of the last seven points to secure the win. Watching the game from Chicago, Allan knew his daughter would respond well.
“At that moment. I’m literally talking to the TV, saying take a deep breath. Calm down. [You’re] okay…What’s the best thing you can do?…Come back, be strong on the block,” Allan said.
In Syracuse’s loss against Notre Dame, UND’s Paris Thompson prepared to spike a ball set by Phyona Shrader. Joubert read the play, sliding over towards the sideline before copying Thompson’s motion.
Joubert’s ability to snuff out opposing teams attacks has been a part of her game ever since she joined First Alliance. She raised her arms, boomeranging the ball back to UND’s side for a Syracuse point.
“I’m just trying to be consistent and not all over the place.” Joubert said. “I also have been focusing on communicating with my teammates better.”
