Jence Rhoads

Classroom

Rhoads maintains a 3.11 GPA and will graduate in May in interdisciplinary studies. She was selected to the Dean’s List in the spring of 2010 and is a two-time selection to the SEC Academic honor roll. In January 2010, Rhoads was the Vanderbilt Student-Athlete of the Month. Last May, she immersed herself in a foreign culture by studying abroad in Greece.

Character

A leader on and off the floor for the Commodores, Rhoads is one of three team captains. Beyond her leadership, Rhoads is also regarded as one of the hardest working and toughest players on the team. During the 2010 season, Rhoads returned to the lineup after missing just two games with a broken bone in her left hand. It was originally feared Rhoads would miss a month or more, but she played through the pain and returned sooner than anticipated. She’s a mentor to both teammates and children as Rhoads has served as a youth coach at local basketball camps and clinics. Rhoads has also taken part in Vanderbilt’s Annual SAAC Holiday Party for underprivileged elementary school children assisted at Vanderbilt’s annual field day event with local elementary school children.

Community

Rhoads is heavily involved in the Nashville community with the women’s basketball program. For the last two years Rhoads and teammates have participated in the Down Syndrome Association of Middle Tennessee Buddy Walk, which raises awareness and celebrates area residents who have Down syndrome. She has also participated in the Nashville Kidney Walk, which raises awareness about the need for organ donation and kidney disease prevention. Rhoads has also volunteered with the Slippery Rock Parks and Recreation wheelchair basketball program.

Competition

After averaging 13.8 points and a team-best five assists per game, Rhoads garnered first-team All-SEC honors by the league coaches and second-team all-conference honors by the Associated Press. Rhoads led the SEC in minutes per game and ranked second in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio and assists per game. As a sophomore, she was ranked third in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio. Rhoads is a versatile player who can play virtually any position on the floor and has helped guide the Commodores to the NCAA tournament all three years.