USF Athletics

Bulls Proud to Honor 'Team Warrior' Elizabeth Jones on Sunday

March 06, 2020

SPECIAL EVENT: Elizabeth Jones memorial/dedication service
DAY/TIME: Sunday/noon (prior to the USF women's tennis match against Lehigh 
LOCATION: USF Varsity Courts (admission is free)


 
By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer

TAMPA, MARCH 6, 2020 – USF women's tennis usually sports Green and Gold on the court, but Sunday will be a very special exception.

Head coach Cristina Moros' Bulls will be wearing customized purple shirts during their home match against Lehigh in honor of the late Elizabeth Jones, a brave girl who battled an incurable lung disease and will forever be a part of the program.

Always enjoying her favorite color intermediate between red and blue, Elizabeth's was excited to put on the Bulls' traditional palettes back in spring 2018 when she became an honorary member of USF women's tennis. The everlasting bond was built through Team IMPACT, an organization that connects children facing serious and chronic illnesses with college programs around the country.

Throughout her courageous journey, Elizabeth found a way to live life to the fullest despite dealing with pediatric pulmonary hypertension. Sadly, Elizabeth passed away Aug. 8, 2019, just five days after her 12^th birthday, and the Bulls are making sure her memory will be eternalized on campus.

Starting Sunday at noon, USF will hold a memorial service/dedication ceremony for Elizabeth at the USF Varsity Courts. With the Jones family in attendance, the team will unveil a green bench inscribed with Elizabeth's name and "Team Warrior" that will have a permanent home at the USF Varsity Courts. Admission to Sunday's event and match is free.

"It's about showing the impact that she had on us. It was important for us to convey that," Moros said. "I know she changed my life forever, the way that I look at things. It's important to me to honor her in a sense for what she gave to us, which was pretty incredible."

While becoming close with the Bulls, Elizabeth got to experience several previous moments with the program. Known for her radiant smile and thoughtful nature, the Bay area inspiration often communicated with USF women's tennis team members by the phone, rooted them on at home matches and had fun with the Bulls during off-campus activities and holiday parties.

"Once we got to know her, we got to see her open up," senior Janvhi Clark said. "We really got to see that light that she was."

'Just Breathe'
Whenever times seem stressful, all the Bulls have to do is see Elizabeth's shining light through one of her favorite sayings, "Just Breathe," printed on purple bracelets worn by the team.

The motto, which hung over Elizabeth's bed and was at her memorial service, became the perfect slogan for USF's 2019-20 season.

"This girl had the weight of the world on her shoulders, but she had this ability to take it day by day, enjoy every day, and just keep breathing," Clark said. "I think that's really powerful, not just on the court but in life."

The act of breathing itself was a tough task for Elizabeth, although she didn't make having pediatric pulmonary hypertension apparent to others around her.

"If you want to know what it's like to suffer from this disease, try breathing through a straw and walking up and down stairs," Elizabeth's father, Stephen, said. "Walk around the block, jog and you'll get a better appreciation for what this kid had to put up with.

"Yet, when you saw her at school, she ran with the rest of the kids. She got her black belt in Choi Kwang-Do, a fighting art. She was a third-level gymnast and just never gave up. She just wasn't afraid to try something."

Born Aug. 3, 2007, Elizabeth amazed many people by defying the odds and making to 12 after the Jones family was told she might not see her first birthday. With no cure for her disease in sight, Elizabeth's valiant effort of staying positive through adversity, including surgeries and blood tests, is really important to USF women's tennis. The coaching staff honors her every match while awarding a "Team Warrior" bracelet to the Bull who represented the program the best that day by competing the hardest.

"The outpouring of love and affection for this girl, it just amazes us," said Stephen Jones, a 1981 USF graduate.

Coach Moros made sure Elizabeth received a team bracelet at the start of every season as USF's "honorary warrior" who will always motivate the Bulls moving forward. Once Elizabeth's green bench is unveiled Sunday afternoon, Moros said it will stay facing court 1, "so it kind of feels like she's watching tennis a little bit."

"She would have been so excited," Elizabeth's father said. "… As a family, it just helps deflect some of the pain of our loss to know that people still care, respect and honor her."
 
About USF Women's Tennis
Be sure to follow USF women's tennis on social media (Twitter / Facebook / Instagram) and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information. Head coach Cristina Moros will be in her fifth year at the helm, as she led the program to an American Athletic Conference Championship in 2017.