Hazleton, Pa. - Nora Jones from Effort, Pa. is gearing up for college volleyball this fall. The Pleasant Valley High School graduate is poised to help the Hazleton Nittany Lions this fall after three years on the varsity squad and captaining the Bears volleyball team for her final two seasons in uniform. As an outside hitter and defensive specialist with Pleasant Valley High School, Jones helped the Bears to a pair of championships in the Mountain Division and led the team in service aces and kills during her senior year. Nora has continued to compete on the court in the offseason, spending three years with Club Pocono Volleyball and another season with the Quickset Volleyball Club, winning numerous first place and runner-up titles over the course of her club career.

"Nora has outstanding leadership qualities and brings a great deal of enthusiasm for the game.", said Head Coach Noel Kaufman. "Not only does she add firepower to our attacking front row, but she has the skills and mind set to be an excellent defensive player for us."

Off the volleyball court, Jones earned plenty of accolades as well. As a discus thrower, Jones made regular appearances in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference and PIAA District XI championships as well as a third-place finish at the East Stroudsburg University Invitational. In the classroom, Nora is a member of the National Honor Society and has received awards from the Future Business Leaders of America, Community Service and the Academic Excellence Award for Physical Education.

Nora will be starting off her Penn State academic career in the field of Undergraduate Studies but is excited to explore the copious number of options that Penn State has to offer as she discovers her career path. Jones plans to excel in the classroom while continuing to grow and develop her game on the volleyball court to help the Hazleton Nittany Lions reach their goal of a conference championship.