Standing at 5-11, junior outside hitter Jackie Gallagher leaps into the air, her flaming red hair bouncing from the force of liftoff. Gallagher hangs in the air seconds before hitting the volleyball with an explosion of force.

Gallagher attributes her ability of hanging in the air to lots of practicing. She said she spends spring and summer finding what is wrong with her skills and working on those problems.

“I do a lot of stuff in the summer,” Gallagher said. “Summer is full of weight training, cardio and running and playing.”

Gallagher said she practices twice a week. Because she practices so much, Gallagher is leading the team in kills with a total of 96.

She averages 4.57 kills a game.

“Jackie is a very good athlete,” said Debbie Traywick, head volleyball coach. “She can do all things well. She is a good all around player.”

She said Gallagher is “fun to watch.” Traywick said the fans enjoy watching her play.

She said one reason Gallagher is a good player is because of her experience playing Division I volleyball.

Gallagher made her journey from Glendale, Ariz., to the University of Idaho for two years before transferring to Missouri Southern in 2002.

Gallagher was red shirted last year because of transfer rules. The NCAA requires that all transfer students from a four-year institution to another four-year institution complete one year of residency before competing. Traywick said Gallagher was unhappy playing at the University of Idaho.

“I think it (the transfer) was an accumulation of things,” Traywick said. “She wasn’t happy at Idaho playing volleyball, and she had a fiance that came here, so she came here.”

Gallagher said one reason she transferred to Southern was because her fiance at the time was attending classes.

She has since broken up with him.

“Coach Traywick had heard that this kid came from Idaho and his girlfriend is also from Idaho,” Gallagher said.

“She called me up after Christmas break and offered me a spot as a middle hitter.”

She said she changed positions because her and the coach thought she was better suited as an outside hitter.

Traywick said Gallagher can do other things besides hitting the ball well.

“She’s also a very good blocker,” she said.

Gallagher said the women on the team are her backbone.