How High Can A Collegiate Player Actually Jump?

As we go through life we all have a mental file called "And I thought I had seen it all..."

Yesterday, my file just got a new addition.  I was officiating an SMU men's match with UT Permian Basin.  We were roving the match so I was standing at the net post observing the doubles play.  During one of the points, one of the SMU players leaped in the air to hit an overhead--and as I looked at him, his feet were ABOVE the net level!  Years ago I watched Pete Sampras come in and make leaping overheads but this went far beyond what Pete was doing.

Its nearly unbelievable that a player could jump that high in the air much less to hit an overhead.  In talking with the player he told me that his vertical leap is 36 or 37 inches--and that would certainly account for his ability to leap higher than the net.

Just goes to show--life holds more exciting lessons and examples for us every day that we live...