Former women’s volleyball and basketball standout Mary Jackson was inducted into the Francis Marion University Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday, Feb. 6, 2016.
Jackson lettered four years each in both volleyball and basketball between 1988 and 1992, earning All-Conference accolades twice on the volleyball court and three times on the hardwood. She earned a B.A. degree in visual arts in 1992.
Jackson, a native of Columbia, S.C., and a graduate of Lower Richland High School, led the Patriot women’s basketball team to a four-year mark of 78-40, while registering career averages of 13.3 points and 7.0 rebounds per game over 114 contests. She tallied career totals of 1,511 points, 796 rebounds, 239 steals, and 220 assists.
She was named All-Conference for three of her four seasons and twice was selected to the NAIA District Six All-District team. She earned honorable mention NAIA All-America recognition in 1990 after averaging 16.5 points and 9.0 rebounds per game and shooting 48 percent from the field with a team-high 70 steals.
On the volleyball court, she helped Francis Marion to an 83-64 mark, including a trip to the 1990 NAIA National Tournament in Laie, Hawaii. Her career totals included 1,485 digs, 963 kills, 334 blocks, and 167 service aces.
As a junior and senior, she garnered District Six All-District and Palmetto State All-Conference honors. As a senior, she was named the District Six and Palmetto State Conference Player of the Year, while also picking up NAIA South All-Region Team recognition and being named to the Peach Belt Conference All-Conference squad. She was twice named to the District Six All-Tournament Team and was named her team’s most valuable player in 1990 and 1991.
