Sophomore middle blocker Jacqui Armer was rooted in a family that is overflowing with athletes that participated in a variety of sports.
The Bradenton, Florida, native began playing volleyball in first grade and from that point forward, athletics have been a primary aspect of her life. 
Growing up, Armer was a very well-rounded athlete and participated in sports year-round. 
“I danced for five years,” Armer said. “In high school, I actually played volleyball, basketball, weightlifting and I threw for track. Throughout high school, I was on four varsity sports for high school.”
“There wasn’t a time when I was not playing a sport,” Armer said. “If it wasn’t basketball season, it was soccer. If it wasn’t soccer, it was volleyball. There was always a season and I was always in something.”
Armer’s family was extremely competitive with one another, needing to win at anything pursued.
“It was super competitive,” Armer said. “Everything in my house, you had to win. Everybody wanted to win something. It could be stupid stuff, but if my sister or brother was doing it, I had to beat them.”
Small competitions in Armer’s family over the years have helped build a very a competitive and intense mindset when competing for the Tigers.
Having a competitive attitude also motivated her to improve her game and grow as a player.
After playing as many sports as she did, Armer really developed a passion particularly for volleyball over the others.
Basketball, weightlifting and track were all hobbies Armer did for fun and to remain involved. Volleyball emerged as more of a serious sport and Armer became really invested in it.
“I considered high school sports for fun, but club volleyball really serious,” Armer said. “I started playing it and it became my love. Other things are fun, but nothing compares to volleyball.”
In high school, Armer led Manatee High School to its first-ever state championship during her junior year. She averaged two kills and a block per set on the season, as well as earning honorable mention to the Bradenton All-Area Volleyball Team.
Armer soon realized volleyball could be her best sport to take her to college on a scholarship. Oddly, Armer began getting noticed by recruits after her older sister, Kayla, brought her around bigger clubs with her, increasing her chances of getting recruited.
“My sister went to a bigger club and the club suggested she bring [me] to tryouts to for fun,” Armer said. “They put me on a team and said I could be good if I try and commit to this. It was a matter of me following my sister and it just worked out.”
Kayla Armer is currently enrolled in Houston Baptist University.
Kayla is a graduate student and plays beach volleyball. She played indoor volleyball from 2013 to 2016 and is currently the all-time leader in assists at Houston Baptist with 5,070. Kayla also recorded the very first triple-double in HBU history.
Jacqui and her sister influenced each other to commit to volleyball and become the best version of themselves while playing.
“[Jacqui] definitely played a role in my passion actually,” Kayla said. “She started playing volleyball before I did. I was really into dance and when my studio closed, I decided to try volleyball too. I fell in love with it and I think seeing my passion for the game made her love it more too and it was something that connected us to each other more.”
With all of the accolades Kayla has accomplished at HBU and in high school, she believes it played a huge role in motivating Jacqui to elevate her play to new levels.
“She’s super competitive,” Kayla said. “I’m sure she looked at my success and thought, ‘Let me do better’. She definitely one-upped me when she chose a college. I went Division I and she went Division I, but in a better conference.”
Kayla says Jacqui’s brashness and her way of being very outspoken about things stands out in their competitive family.
“She doesn’t hold back and will tell it like it is and she’s fiercely competitive to go along with it,” Kayla said. “It’s quite the combo. I’m sure that helped with all her success and driven her so far. I’m really excited to see where it takes her in the next couple of years.”
Coming from a family with a rich athletic background may weigh on someone to feel obligated to do the same and pursue sports without genuinely wanting to. In Jacqui’s case, she did not feel forced to do anything she did not want to do. Volleyball was something she fell in love with and wanted to play for herself.
“It’s something I enjoy doing,” Armer said. “I pushed my parents to let me do so much and they thought it was crazy that I played all of these sports. It’s definitely something I have always enjoyed doing.”
Armer’s parents both attended the University of Michigan and played sports while they were there. Her father, Chip, played basketball and her mother, Michelle, was on the swimming and diving team at Michigan. Armer did not want to pursue her college career in the Big 12, but remain in the south and play in the Southeastern Conference.
“If I’m going to play in college, I wanted to play in the SEC,” Armer said. When I narrowed it down, LSU was the obvious pick. It’s like a home away from home and you cannot say no to that. It was a super easy decision.”