Tackling two sports and succeeding with talent and unwavering commitment is a daunting task, but junior Jen Heberton’s dedication and pure love for both volleyball and swimming have carried her to the top in both sports.

When her volleyball opponents face off against Heberton, they are faced with the difficult task of countering her grace and swiftness. When she’s serving, her left arm is raised, and her right is parallel with her ear. The power she puts into her shots typically has the Bombers celebrating before the opposing players even know what hit them.

She jumps up with emotion and joins her team in the middle of the court for a cheer to provide encouragement to her teammates, while her adversaries are left dumbfounded.

Freshman Elizabeth Previte said Heberton has been a role model to her in her first season with the Bombers.

“She’s always encouraging and pushing me to do well,” Previte said. “She plays with so much heart and integrity, it definitely shows on the court.”

Head Coach Janet Donovan said it is evident that Heberton is a huge asset for the team, especially this year.

“One of the most important things with Jen is the fact that she changed her role from a supporting player to an all-around go-to player,” Donovan said.

Since the team is particularly young, she is relied on in situations that require control and leadership. Heberton took on the responsibility with full force, coming through when the team needs it most, Donovan said.

She doesn’t only exhibit her talents on the court. She has been swimming since she was 8 years old and has continued swimming for the Bombers. Heberton said she owes her mother, Pam; her father, Dick; and brother, Eric, for her involvement in the sport. She said she is grateful they never pushed her into one sport but consistently encouraged and supported her to do both.

Participating in both swimming and volleyball has sometimes been a challenge. At Darien High School in Darien, Conn., swimming and volleyball were offered in the same season. Heberton accomplished this challenge by swimming for the YMCA and participating in her high school’s volleyball program.

“My high school’s volleyball program had been amazing,” Heberton said. “So I felt like I made the right decision.”

She played volleyball for the Darien Blue Waves since her freshman year, earning three varsity letters and never losing a game in her high school career.

In 2005, she was the state MVP; part of the all-state first team, which was awarded to one of the top six players in the state; awarded all-Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference; and was named the Hartford Courant Player of the Year.

College has provided her with similar accolades. One of her most memorable was when her 200-yard medley relay swim team placed eighth, making it to the All-American squad in the NCAA Championships.

“It was definitely one of my greatest moments,” Heberton said. “Walking out to the podium where they were handing out the awards was surreal — something I will never forget.”

Heberton starts off the school year playing volleyball in the fall and transitions to swimming in the winter, leaving little time for anything else.

 Her trick is to maintain focus on the sport in which she is participating. Heberton said she employs her full concentration and energy into one sport and then worries about the other one afterward taking it one step at a time.

She plays with all of her heart and soul yet still finds time for academics, Donovan said. It is something she said is a rare quality to find.

“Very few kids even play two sports,” Donovan said. “But Jen has a very difficult major and workload yet still finds time to excel at both. She’s just a very driven athlete as well as student.”