Graduate Spotlight: Holcomb makes impact on the court and in the classroom

Kim Chaudoin  |  01/02/2025

For Jalyn Holcomb, basketball has always been more than a game. It’s been a platform for growth and a space for forging lifelong relationships.

In December, Holcomb graduated from Lipscomb University with a Master of Arts in conflict management. This spring she will finish out her stellar career with the women’s basketball team, bringing to a close a six-year journey with the Bisons that included extra eligibility due to the Covid-19 pandemic and injury.

Basketball has been an important part of Holcomb’s life for many years. Her school basketball career began as a fourth grader at Providence Christian Academy in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, where she played until the eighth grade.

“I was always a very competitive kid who loved playing any sport, so off the bat I loved basketball,” she recalls. “Towards the end of middle school I got more serious about it.”

After middle school, Holcomb attended Murfreesboro’s Riverdale High School, which is known for its successful girls basketball program. As a younger player, she did not see much playing time.

“The first two years were very hard for me, but I am truly thankful for them now,” says Holcomb. “Those years taught me resilience and made me appreciate the opportunities I had later on.”

Her playing time increased her junior and senior year, and by the time her high school playing career was over she was part of three state championship teams.

In 2019, Holcomb’s talent and perseverance brought her to Lipscomb where she became an immediate standout on the women’s basketball team. Named ASUN Freshman of the Year and selected to the All-Freshman Team, Holcomb’s scoring ability and leadership were evident from the start.

“Being a part of Lipscomb women's basketball has been such an amazing time in my life. I always say that coming to Lipscomb was a complete ‘God thing,’” Holcomb says.

When weighing her collegiate playing opportunities, Holcomb was recruited by Lipscomb as well as by Lauren Sumski, the current women’s head coach who was coaching at another university at the time. Holcomb recalls that she “loved Lipscomb as a school” but the program had struggled in recent years. She also “loved” Sumski as a coach but the university where she was coaching at the time was not the right fit for Holcomb. She ultimately decided to attend Lipscomb, and shortly thereafter Sumski was named head coach of the Bison women’s basketball team.

“I was excited because I was going to get to play for LA (Sumski) at the school I wanted to go to,” Holcomb recalls with a smile. “I have always believed in LA's vision. I believe in what she is doing for this program, and I have loved the opportunity to be a part of what she is doing. She and the entire coaching staff care about us as women first, then as athletes, and they have built something truly special here.”

Holcomb’s belief in the program paid off. Over her collegiate career, she has amassed numerous accolades, including surpassing 1,200 career points and becoming the second all-time leading scorer in program history in the NCAA Div. 1 era. Although a preseason injury sidelined her for the entire 2023-24 season, she has returned to action this year and is eager to finish the season alongside her teammates.

While excelling in basketball, Holcomb has also thrived academically. After earning her undergraduate degree in sports management from Lipscomb in 2023, she chose to pursue conflict management at the graduate level. “Conflict is inevitable in every area of life,” Holcomb says. “I thought this degree would be applicable in whatever career I pursue, especially in coaching. It’s taught me how to navigate conflicts in team settings and become a better communicator.”

Holcomb says her time at Lipscomb has been transformative.

“College is a time that I often tell younger girls when you truly find out who you are and what you believe in without being under your parents' household,” she explains. “I believe I have grown immensely in my faith at Lipscomb, and I am forever grateful for that. I have found best friends that will be in my life for the rest of my life. It has prepared me for the next journey because I know my identity in Christ, and I have relationships that will always help me strive to be better in any area of my life.”

She says she will leave Lipscomb with two important takeaways. “Building relationships is one of the most important things in life,” Holcomb shares. “And, having a close circle of people who stay with you through the good times and hard times. One of my professors calls this a ‘gritty group.’

As she looks ahead, Holcomb plans to pursue a coaching career, potentially at the high school or collegiate level. “I’m excited to see where this journey takes me,” she says.

— Photos: Lipscomb Athletics