1 / 5

Former Pleasant Grove volleyball coach Allyce Jones competes in a professional pickleball match during the 2023 season.

Courtesy PPA Tour

2 / 5

Former Pleasant Grove volleyball coach Allyce Jones (in white) plays doubles with Lea Jansen at the AZ Grand Slam on the Professional Pickleball Association in February of 2023.

Courtesy PPA Tour

3 / 5

Former Pleasant Grove volleyball coach Allyce Jones (in white) plays doubles with Lea Jansen at the AZ Grand Slam on the Professional Pickleball Association in February of 2023.

4 / 5

Former Pleasant Grove volleyball coach Allyce Jones (in white) plays doubles with Lea Jansen at the AZ Grand Slam on the Professional Pickleball Association in February of 2023.

Courtesy PPA Tour

5 / 5

Pleasant Grove head coach Allyce Jones high-fives her players before a game between the Pleasant Grove Vikings and the Lone Peak Knights held Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018, at Pleasant Grove High School. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald

Isaac Hale, Daily Herald

❮ ❯

Pleasant Grove’s Allyce Jones has played many different roles in her life: College volleyball player, high school teacher and girls volleyball coach, club volleyball director, wife and a mother.

Now, the 35-year-old Jones is a professional pickleball player, and one of the best in America.

“My goal is to be the top player in the world,” said Jones, who is ranked No. 8 in the country. “I thought teaching was my career, then pickleball took off. I never thought I would be back in competition. It’s definitely better competing now than when I was in college. I understand what life is all about and I’m more grateful for every opportunity I get on the court.”

Pro pickleball is much more lucrative, as well. Between her pro contract, playing in the Pickleball Premier League, appearance fees and sponsorship deals, Jones is bringing in a six-figure income.

Jones was an all-state volleyball and tennis player during her high school career at Pleasant Grove, then played college volleyball at Utah Valley University as a tenacious 5-foot-2 libero. She taught and coached volleyball at PG, where she led the Vikings to four state championships. Jones stepped down from high school coaching after winning the 6A state title in 2019. She continued to teach while also running Club 801 Volleyball.

When the pandemic hit in the spring of 2020, the Joneses struggled to find ways to stay active and relieve stress. Jones’ mother told her about pickleball and that led to her family heading to the Pleasant Grove gym in the afternoons to play.

“Our family played, then some teachers started to come and play,” Jones said. “I really started to grow to love the sport.”

Eventually, Jones started playing pickleball every morning at the PG Rec Center and began playing outdoors as well. In January of 2021, Club Pickleball USA opened in Orem, giving her another venue to hone her craft. Jones won her first club tournament and eventually reached the highest level for an amateur.

The tipping point for Jones realizing her potential came when her husband, Ryan, surprised her with the gift of a lesson with one of Utah’s top pros, Callie Jo Smith.

“During the lesson I realized I was playing well against her,” Allyce Jones said. “I came home from the lesson and told my husband, ‘Honey, I can hang with a pro.’ He said, ‘I know, I believed that. I wanted you to see it and believe it.'”

Jones signed with the pro tour in April of 2021 and began playing in tournaments while training, teaching full time and juggling her family life.

She was offered a pro contract in January of 2022 with the Carvana Profession Pickleball League and stopped teaching full-time to devote more of her attention to her pro career during the 2022-23 season. Jones has medaled in seven of the nine tournaments she’s played this year. Among her sponsors are Pickleroll, which produces court surfaces, and Joola Pickleball, which supplies pickleball gear and clothing.

Jones’ day begins at 4 a.m., when she rises to do morning reading for her spiritual and mental health. She alternates pickleball training with physical training, then comes home to get her two boys, ages six and eight, off to school. Jones also has a 10-year-old daughter that she home schools. There are usually more training sessions in the afternoon along with recovery and physical therapy work. Then her boys come home from school and she spends time with her family. She is usually leaving on Wednesdays for weekend tournaments.

None of this pro dream would be possible without the support of Ryan, who owns his own business as an insurance agent.

“He’s my biggest fan and it’s the coolest part of my career,” Allyce Jones said. “He loves what I’m doing. He helps me out when I’m gone taking care of the kids. Most of the other pros are not married, and the ones that are don’t see their spouse that much. Ryan comes to my matches and sometimes my children come, too.”

The whole story has been a crazy ride for Allyce Jones, and she’s still amazed when a fan approaches her to sign a pickleball paddle.

“What I love about pickleball is it’s more of a quick reaction and agility sport,” she said. “It really helps you get into shape and it’s pretty easy to learn. You can play it at all ages. You can have a kid playing an adult and I’ve seen 80-year-olds playing the game. The pickleball community is great. I have developed so many friends. My husband used to be kind of an introvert but he’s made a lot of friends, too. The sport is growing and it’s a great atmosphere. I feel like it’s the best sports right now when it comes to developing relationships, having a good mental state and getting out for activity.”