Inside HOKIE SPORTS | Vol. 10 No. 4 | March 2018

42 Inside Hokie Sports Experience at for an one Tolbert The Tech volleyball standout served as an ACC SAAC representative to the Division I SAAC group and had a voice on several issues, including transfer rules and early recruiting by Jimmy Robertson Currently in pursuit of a degree in international studies with a business concentration, while also learning Chinese, Jaila Tolbert sat down not long ago with a professor whom she considers a mentor and discussed future career options. “CIA,” he suggested, referring to the Central Intelligence Agency, the nation’s largest intelligence agency and one tasked with gathering, processing and analyzing human intelligence for national security reasons. “I’m like, ‘Really?’” Tolbert said. “That’s different. That’s not what I expected.” Before she jumps into a world of covert operations, Virginia Tech’s standout volleyball player may want to consider a future in college athletics administration. After all, she’s putting together a rather impressive resume for a path toward helping future student-athletes. The Minneapolis, Minnesota native added her latest resume piece recently, as Tolbert’s participation in Virginia Tech’s SAAC—Student-Athlete Advisory Committee—led to her attending the NCAA Convention in mid-January as the ACC’s SAAC representative to the NCAA Division I SAAC. Confused? Well, here’s a little clarity. Virginia Tech’s SAAC is a leadership group consisting of two student- athletes from all varsity sports at Tech. Those on this committee provide input on rules, regulations and policies that affect student-athletes’ lives, and they serve as a conduit for communication between student-athletes, coaches and administrators. Two student-athletes on the executive team of SAAC also represent the school on ACC SAAC, which collects student-athlete input on conference issues. Tolbert, a member of Tech’s executive team, was chosen to be a representative on ACC SAAC, along with men’s swimmer Harrison Pierce. Each Division I conference selects a student-athlete to represent and partner with the NCAA and to vote on legislation regarding student-athlete welfare. The 30-member ACC SAAC chose Tolbert as its representative on Division I SAAC at the NCAA Convention held Jan. 17-20 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Her attendance marked the first time in Virginia Tech history that one of its student-athletes had been chosen to represent the conference’s SAAC office. She joined former swimmer Brandon Fiala as the only Tech student- athletes ever to attend an NCAA Convention. Fiala served as an ACC student-athlete representative last year. I didn’t really know that student-athletes had a say or a voice. You kind of just go to practice at this time, go lift at this time, and you forget that this is your experience, and it’s what you make it. Jaila Tolbert on being a member of SAAC “ ”