Jessi Wollman (12) and Jane Everett (13) work together during a Highlanders soccer game.
Blackburg High School’s Jane Everett and Jessica “Jessi” Wollman have been playing soccer since kindergarten.
After years of work, the women were introduced to Radford University soccer by Assistant Coach Chris Barrett, who was their elite club team coach for a year. Both drew the notice of Highlander Head Women’s Soccer Coach Ben Sohrabi during recruiting.
“Jessi has great speed. Jane is a great competitor,” said Sohrabi.
Their backgrounds were also striking. Everett, a mid-fielder, was the All Timesland Player of the Year in 2015, while forward Wollman was high school Player of the Year in VHSCA (Virginia High School Coaches Association) and Region 3A West. And, they helped lead their high school team to win the 3A state championships in 2014 and 2015.
Wollman chose Radford University because she loved the size and liked the professors for her anthropology major. Radford was also her first offer for college soccer.
She also loves “everything” about playing the sport. “It can be so beautiful when you have a good play and a good goal,” she said. “It’s so satisfying to put in so much work and watch it all pay off.”
Everett said of the Radford University, “After I toured the campus I fell in love with its beauty and charm.” She is studying sports medicine in pursuit of a doctorate in physical therapy.
For both women, it was an added bonus that the school was close to home and family. “I’m a huge home body and knew I didn’t want to go far away for school,” said Everett.
As juniors in the Highlander soccer program, the women are still playing strong. This year Wollman was named Big South Attacking Player of the Week on Sept. 5 after collecting two goals and two assists in Radford’s 6-3 victory over Wofford College.
Friends since childhood, Jessi Wollman (left) and Jane Everett celebrate at Jessi’s seventh birthday party.
“It was my first big accomplishment at the college level so I was really proud of it,” she said.
Wollman feels her greatest contribution to the team is being quick and “dangerous in the attack.”
Concurred Sohrabi, “Jessi has given the team many goals and assists this year,” making her currently one of the leading scorers in the Big South.
He said regarding Everett, “Jane is a captain and provides tremendous leadership.”
Being voted team captain by her peers, especially as a junior, has been her highest soccer honor thus far, Everett said. “I love being able to be … a leader to a group of girls.”
Hard work is a common thread between the two women. Wollman said the best advice she has gotten is that if you’re going to do something, you need to do it 100 percent. “To me this just means putting everything possible into the thing you’re doing,” she said. “I think I work hard in every training [session] and that’s a big key to success.”
Everett’s motto is ‘Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.’ She said, “I think it’s a quote but it really applies to soccer and life. Our team has a tremendous amount of talent, but the games where we don’t have the heart to put in the work it takes usually end in a loss.
So, we always have to remember to work hard. There’s always going to be someone naturally better than you, but if you can work harder you just might succeed over them.”
She hopes for the team to win a Big South Championship and get a bid to the NCAA tournament during her time as a Highlander.
Both women draw inspiration from those who came before them, hoping to model not only their play but their attitude and work ethic after Highlander alumni.
This duo’s long history together reaps benefits both on and off the field. The two have been friends since first grade and played soccer with each other since eighth grade. Said Sohrabi, “They are best friends and at times finish each other’s sentences. They read each other well. I think there is a little almost sisterly positive competition between the two at times. They live together and get along great.”
Wollman said of Everett, “She can read my body language better than anybody on the field.” Added Everett about Wollman, “She’ll always have my back and I’ll always have hers.”
Concluded Sohrabi about these women on his team, “Great kids and great families. We are fortunate to have them.”