'It felt made for me': How BYU volleyball's Jackson Fife found a home at libero
The argument can be made that BYU volleyball libero Jackson Fife was destined to be a BYU athlete someday.
His parents were both Cougars — his mom on the cheer team and his dad playing baseball. The family legacy goes even further back, with his grandpa, Tom Fife, playing for BYU baseball in the 1960s.
As the product of two BYU graduates, one of Fife's favorite childhood memories was attending BYU sporting events.
One basketball game in particular that he remembers attending in his hometown of Las Vegas came in 2011 when Jimmer Fredette put up a career-high 52 points in an 87-76 win against New Mexico in the Mountain West playoffs. That game helped Fife gain a greater appreciation for BYU and basketball.
"Jimmer was the rave when I was in middle school. I was a big BYU basketball fan, so when Jimmer came in, he was like a God," Fife said. "He was so fun to watch. I remember having Jimmer posters in my room — he was a big deal to me."
Idolizing players like Jimmer, basketball became Fife's go-to sport, but due to his size, he didn't get the opportunity to fully pursue it in high school.
"I was really small in high school. Being only 5-foot-3 or 5-4. I was just tiny. So, basketball got increasingly more difficult because you need to be a little bit bigger, and size matters," Fife said. "I remember my freshman year of high school, I played basketball, and my coach told me I was too small for this level, and it totally crushed me."
With basketball becoming less of an option, another path was continuing the Fife family tradition by playing baseball. However, this also came with its own challenges, such as frequent weekend road trips that would prevent him from attending church on Sundays — something his parents had taught him to prioritize.
"My dad and my grandpa were both big into baseball, but my dad never actually wanted me to play it," Fife said. "You're gone a lot of the time; you're rarely at home for church, so my dad taught me the importance of keeping the Sabbath day holy."
With baseball also off the table, Fife still wanted to find a sport he could excel in. That’s when one of his childhood friends, Jared Brady, who had an offer to play at BYU in college, encouraged him to give volleyball a try.
"I had some friends who were playing volleyball for the high school team, one of them being Jared Brady. He's one of my teammates right now at BYU, so we were both at the same high school, and he's one of my best friends."
Early on in his introduction to volleyball, Fife found a home in the back row, playing as the libero. As a defensive specialist, the libero is responsible for passing, digging, and keeping plays alive, making agility more important than height.
"The position I play, you can be small; it's an advantage to be small and quick. That's why I wanted to play libero, so I started learning my freshman year of high school. Playing basketball also helped with having an athletic background," Fife said. "I picked it up pretty quick and realized I could get good at this position fast, so I fell in love with it because it felt made for me."
Currently at BYU, Fife has made an impact this season, ranking third on the team with 26 assists and averaging 0.38 assists per set.
From 2019 to 2021, Fife chose to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints where he was assigned to Brazil as well as California. While serving, the BYU men's volleyball team went a historic 37-5 in two seasons, including a trip to the National Championship in 2021, where they lost to Hawaii.
When Fife returned home from his mission, the volleyball program was going through a rebuilding phase, with many new players coming in. For him, this was a testament to trusting God’s timing.
"I knew I wanted to serve a mission, so I feel like I put God first. I feel like if I didn't serve a mission, I wouldn't have played volleyball," Fife said. "The two years I was gone, we had two of the most talented, stacked teams BYU volleyball ever had with guys like Gabi Garcia and Felipe Ferreira. I probably wouldn't have been on the team."
Without a scholarship offer, Fife had to earn his place as a walk-on. His friendship with Jared Brady helped open a door, as BYU head coach Shawn Olmstead had seen Fife play while attending their high school matches. That connection led to an opportunity.
"I felt pretty unqualified coming off the mission, but I felt excited just to have the opportunity, and I was going to give it 100% and be happy with whatever happened," Fife said. "Coach Shawn put some faith in me and gave me the chance to get better, so I took advantage of each practice and rep to get as good as possible. When I found out they had a spot for me, I was super happy, grateful, and excited. It was a dream come true."
If Fife could go back in time, he would remind himself to focus on being the best teammate possible, stay coachable, and try to enjoy the process more by striving to be one percent better each practice.
"The way you do anything is the way you do everything. Being good in the classroom reflects in being good in volleyball, or being good spiritually reflects in being good in volleyball," Fife said. "You can't slack in other areas and expect to be really good at volleyball."
Fife, like many other high school graduates who didn't get a college offer, has advice for those in a similar position.
"Don't give up on your dreams so quickly," Fife said. "If you want something, and want it bad enough, you can make it happen. I believe God blesses us according to our desires, so if we put Him first, things will work out."
Coming from a legacy of BYU athletes, Fife had the advantage of receiving guidance from his parents, who had been in similar positions. The best advice he got from his dad was simple but powerful: everything of value comes from hard work — it's the key ingredient to a good recipe.
As a pre-med student Fife plans on applying to different dental schools with hopes of getting a career in endodontics, but before focusing on root canals he wants to soak in every moment as a BYU athlete to represent the school and its fans in the best way possible.
"I want to express my appreciate to everybody. I feel blessed to be here as an athlete and I know we as a team feel grateful to play at the field house and be supported by so many great fans, it motivates us to perform well," Fife said. "We consider it to be such a privilege."
The No. 6 ranked Cougars will be back on home court on March 7-8 in back-to-back games against the No. 5 ranked USC Trojans with their eyes set on climbing the AVCA National Collegiate MVB Poll.