Jacobs, Paxson named SC ESPY Newcomers of the Year

INDIANOLA, Iowa – Simpson College volleyball junior Jessica Jacobs and shooting sports' sophomore Breydon Paxson have been named the 2021-22 SC ESPY Female and Male Newcomers of the Year.

Both Jacobs and Paxson made immediate impacts in their first year competing for Simpson. Jacobs propelled the Storm volleyball team to its first appearance in the conference tournament since 2013 and Paxson helped the shooting sports club win a national championship in Division 3 Classic All-Around.

Jacobs, one of three Storm volleyball players to appear in all 23 matches and 82 sets, led the American Rivers Conference in both kills per set (4.15) and points per set (4.58). She tallied 341 total kills throughout the season, the most by a Simpson player in five seasons, and knocked down 46 more kills than anyone else in the conference during A-R-C play. The first team all-conference performer reached double figure kills on 15 occasions, including four with 20 or more, and added 101 digs, 25 aces, 15 blocks and 10 assists.

A sophomore transfer originally from Indianola, Iowa, Paxson placed third overall at both SCTP Iowa State Championship and ACUI Upper Midwest Regional where he competed in trap, skeet, sporting clays and super sporting clays. His first campaign with Simpson ended with a first place finish in Division 3 Classic All-Around at the ACUI National Championship in Texas. Paxson scored 279 out of 300 in skeet, trap and sports clays to win the individual men's title.

Jacobs and Paxson join Spencer Moon as 2021-22 SC ESPY award winners. The remaining honorees will be revealed throughout the rest of the week.

2021-22 SC ESPYs
Spencer Moon - Record-Breaking Performer of the Year
Jessica Jacobs - Female Newcomer of the Year
Breydon Paxson - Male Newcomer of the Year