With college decision looming, Jakayla Brown is focused on North Tonawanda’s success

North Tonawanda’s Jakayla Brown has options on where to play in college. But right now she’s just thinking about trying to help her team go further in the postseason than they did last year.

Last season, the Lumberjacks went 19-2 overall and 17-0 in Niagara Frontier League play. They headed into the Section VI Class A tournament as the No. 1 seed and quickly dispatched of their first two opponents before losing to fifth-seeded Iroquois in five sets in the semifinals.

Heading into this season, the 6-foot-2 Brown said her goals were to make it further than they did last season. But she didn’t have to stew about last season’s ending to figure out what her goals were going to be this year.

“Once we saw that last serve hit the net, I was just like, ‘We got it next year. We’ll be fine, this season will be ours,’” Brown said. “I know just that ever since that short serve we’ve been working hard to be where we are.”

The Lumberjacks and Iroquois do not play this season, but the two squads might meet up in the postseason again as the Braves are currently 7-1. If the two teams do wind up facing off, Brown’s recipe for a win is to stay accurate with their serves and their attacks and be in the moment both physically and mentally. North Tonawanda head coach Katie Hendrickson said her team was hungry to go on a run but that before they get there, they are taking every match as it comes.

During her junior year, Brown was a first-team All-NFL selection. Brown attributes the success that she has had over her career to the work that she has put in the offseason by herself and with her club volleyball team.

Through the team’s 8-1 start, Brown feels her strength, aggressiveness, accuracy and blocking ability have improved. Hendrickson also says when Brown is able to tee up a ball and smash it into the floor, it gives the group a jolt of energy.

“She’s been a crucial player for us, just watching her from her freshman season to now,” Hendrickson said. “She’s improved immensely and she’s put in the time in the offseason by doing club. She’s become a true leader on the court, her play speaks for itself, just watching her as she’s evolved into the player that she is now has been just truly amazing.”

Brown has offers to continue her career at Niagara University, the University of South Alabama and Canisius University. However, Brown’s final two choices are Niagara and Canisius. While she has not made a decision on which of those schools she wants to play at yet, Brown is looking to study criminal psychology in college.

“I’m just looking to stay home, close to Western New York, Buffalo,” Brown said. “That’s what I wanted, I’m not really trying to live far away from my family or my friends. Honestly, I don’t really care for how big the school is, how small it is. I’m definitely going for both academics and athletics because I feel that as much as volleyball means to me, my career and my profession means more too.”

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North Tonawanda's Jakayla Brown sets a ball against Lewiston-Porter during a match on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, at Lewiston-Porter High School.