Don Owen: After beating West Nile virus, star setter Jenna Fessler continues winning at Thomas More
(This column was originally published on Nov. 8, 2018) CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky. — Like any other college athlete, Jenna Fessler enjoys winning. She’s done plenty of that as a four-year starter for Thomas More’s volleyball team. A versatile setter, Fessler has led the Saints to multiple conference championships and NCAA Tournament berths. She’s also helped Thomas More emerge as one of the elite NCAA Division III programs, with the Saints climbing as high as No. 5 in the AVCA national poll this season. Obviously, Fessler knows all about winning. But her biggest victory isn’t against an opponent on the volleyball court. It’s not in the classroom, either, where the Beechwood High School graduate is an honor student. No, Fessler’s most notable triumph occurred two years ago, when she beat a hideous, life-threatening illness — the West Nile virus. AWAKENING FROM THE NIGHTMARE She remembers waking up in the hospital and asking what day of the week it was, unaware she had been in a coma the previo...