Sisters power Pirates volleyball team

BRADEN RIVER — Expectations run high every time Braden River High senior Brittany Jaco steps onto t
the court.

With back-to-back district titles and trips to the regional finals under her belt, Brittany knows what it takes to be successful. Now in her final season at Braden River, Brittany has become a vocal leader for the Lady Pirates, pushing her teammates to do their best every time they step onto the court.

At times, however, Brittany forgets that not everyone on the team — including her younger sister, Madison — has been playing as long as she has.

“I’m feisty with her,” Brittany said. “I know she’s a good player, so hopefully I push her to play better.”

“She’s a good player, so it makes me want to do better,” Madison said of her sister. “She (helps) me out on the court, but sometimes I take it the wrong way because she’s yelling at me.”

This is the first season Brittany and Madison have played together on the same team, as Madison played on the Lady Pirates JV team last year as a freshman. After watching her older sisters play Varsity, Madison was eager to walk onto the court with Brittany by her side.

“It was exciting,” Madison said. “It’s a faster game and you (face) better players. Both of my sisters are really good hitters, so I do feel pressured to be like them, but I want to be like them.”

Playing with a sibling is nothing new for Brittany, who spent the past two seasons playing alongside her older sister, Kaleigh, who now plays collegiate volleyball in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Brittany admits, though, that playing with Kaleigh was an entirely different experience from playing with Madison.

“It’s exciting because I don’t really know what to expect from Madison,” Brittany said. “At times, I expect her to be just as good as Kaleigh. I feel like Kaleigh always was the one cheering very loud, and Maddie is a different, down-low type girl.”

Brittany started playing volleyball as a freshman, following in the footsteps of her older sister, and it didn’t take long for Madison to follow suit. Madison started out hitting balls in the backyard with her sisters before joining a team in seventh grade.

In addition to playing for the Lady Pirates, Brittany and Madison play club volleyball for the Sarasota Volleyball Academy with the hope of eventually playing collegiate volleyball.

But for now, Brittany and Madison are focused on enjoying their first and only season together on the court. With four matches and a tournament remaining before the district tournament, the two sisters are looking to lead the Lady Pirates to their first tournament title of the season. They also want to help capture Braden River’s third-consecutive district title.

“I want to become a better leader for my team and try to win districts,” Brittany said.

And when all is said and done, Madison plans to build on the experience and skills she’s learned from her sister.

“I wish I could play more years with her, but I’ve learned a lot and I’ll carry that on in the years to come for the team,” Madison said. “Over the years, I want to become a leader like Brittany and be like her. Her energy is high and she hits the ball really (well). She’s just an overall good player.”

Contact Jen Blanco at [email protected].