Cavalier Corner is the publication just for UVa sports fans!
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1057091
DECEMBER 2018 17 BY GREG WATERS S TUDENT-ATHLETES ELECT TO come to the University of Vir- ginia for various reasons. They range from the excellent aca- demic reputation of the school, to the opportunity to play their sport at the highest level of collegiate athletics in the Atlantic Coast Conference, or even to re- main close to home. For most, it's a combi- nation of reasons. For third-year forward Lisa Jablonowski, she wanted to experience the United States. "I always wanted to balance academ- ics and sports, but I was adventurous and wanted to get as far as possible away from home," said the native of Ernster, Luxem- bourg. "So, I tried not to stay in Europe. America is ideal to combine academics, basketball and play at a different level than I've played at before. "That made the decision to come to America easy for me; especially UVA." Travel considerations were a factor for Jablonowski's parents, who requested she find a university on the East Coast. "That's why I primarily looked at the East Coast," Jablonowski said. "UVA kind of has the same argument as America. It's great academics, great basketball, a great program all around and I liked the coaches. I liked the town of Charlottesville. It was just a good combination." With Belgium, G e r m a n y a n d France each less than a 90-minute drive away, traveling and experiencing new places is nothing new for the Jablonowski family. "I love traveling," Jablonowski affirmed. "I've been traveling since I was a child. My parents tell the story about me traveling when I was 6 months old; flying for the first time and exploring different islands. "Because I've never been to America, of course, I'm exploring America. Over the summer, I went on a road trip to Utah, Colo- rado and Arizona for two weeks between our summer sessions and when classes be- gan. On the weekends, I try to go to the mountains, on different hikes, Washington, D.C., or North Carolina, or the beach." Jablonowski's other passion is basketball. She was recruited by former UVA basket- ball coach Joanne Boyle, who played pro- fessionally in Germany and Luxembourg. As a first-year, Jablonowski appeared in 32 games with nine starts and averaged 2.4 points and 2.6 rebounds per contest. She started in the final nine games of her rookie campaign, but in 2017-18 she was mainly a situational player, making just two starts. Through six games this season, she was averaging 4.8 points and 4.0 rebounds in 20.7 minutes per game. While not a prolific scorer, the 6-3 Jablo- nowski is a player that is starting to be relied on to do the hustle work such as offen- sive rebounding, setting screens and play- ing defense. Head coach Tina Thompson said there are more minutes available for Jablonowski once she gets more settled in to that role. "It's about Lisa being comfortable," UVA's first-year head women's basketball coach said. "She hasn't played a whole lot of minutes so she's finding her timing and finding her way. "I think once she finds her comfort zone, she'll be able to bring those things to our team." In the first two games of the season, Jablonowski played just 29 minutes and re- corded no points, three boards and one steal. Over the next four games, she logged 95 minutes (23.8 per contest), scored 29 points (7.3), hauled in 21 rebounds (5.3), collected four steals and blocked three shots. Against Central Michigan Nov. 24, she started the second half of the game and set a career high with three blocked shots and grabbed five rebounds in 25 minutes. "I'm not a 20-point scorer, but I will do my best on the defensive end," Jablonowski said. "I will dive for balls; I will get the rebounds. I'll do the dirty work. "Even if I'm not one of those super, shiny basketball players, you can always count on me giving my best effort and being there for the team, helping people up when we need a lift." Thompson thinks Jablonowski can give more and she wants to see it. "We need Lisa to contribute," Thompson noted. "She has a skill set where she can play inside and out. I think that once she gets past her nerves, then that will kind of show up in games. "We're introducing a lot of new things to our kids and comfort is very important. So is rebounding and taking and making open shots when it's available." Hopefully, as the minutes and comfort level increases, Virginia fans will see more performances like the Central Michigan game from Jablonowski. "She's very positive," Thompson added. "What she brings daily, like her work ethic. When you have a high work ethic, it just kind of makes things happen. Her attitude is very important for our team. " I t 's u p l i f t - ing in a way that doesn't show up statistically." J a b l o n ow s k i sees her secondary role as critical to the team's success. "I think it's important to have these kinds of players as a foundation because you need these kinds of player," she said. "If you have 20-point people but they don't play defense and allow 20 points, that's basically zero. "I think you need a team to really be suc- cessful. You need to be different. You need every little piece to get the puzzle together. "You need players to do the dirty work, which makes people like me effective on a team if I bring everything I can to bring every game." UPLIFTING Lisa Jablonowski's Work Ethic, Attitude And Willingness To Do The Dirty Work Have Been Vital For UVA Jablonowski, a third-year forward, was averaging 4.8 points and 4.0 rebounds through six games while showing a knack for doing the little things that don't show up in a box score. PHOTO BY MATT RILEY/COURTESY UVA "I'm not a 20-point scorer, but I will do my best on the defensive end. I will dive for balls; I will get the rebounds. I'll do the dirty work. Even if I'm not one of those super, shiny basketball players, you can always count on me giving my best effort and being there for the team, helping people up when we need a lift." JABLONOWSKI