NCSA caught up with rising volleyball star Carly Dickerson about her high school career and the opportunity to compete at the college level.
NCSA: What motivates you before a big game?
Dickerson: Pre-game is very important to me because it determines my attitude going into the game. I like to have some time to be alone and center my mind and energy on my goals for the upcoming match. Through my martial arts training I have been able to train myself to focus and be mentally prepared.
Personally, I have found that listening to positive and inspiring music helps to get my energy ignited. After that, I visually run through every aspect of the game as I would ideally like it to go. Finally, I say a prayer asking God to bless my team and guide me to do the best I can.
NCSA: What are you looking forward to if and when you get the opportunity to play at the collegiate level?
Dickerson: I am anxious to play at the collegiate level! I can't wait to experience new types of coaching, players and mentalities. Being in a new atmosphere is refreshing for me and opens up my mind to new and different things. Of course I'm also looking forward to improving my personal game and physical condition.
NCSA: Why did you get involved in volleyball?
Dickerson: Volleyball has quite a tradition at my school. Saint Philip has won many state titles in the past and developed into a great program. I can remember when I was a little girl going to watch Saint Philip in the State Finals at Western Michigan University. I remember hoping that someday I would be out on that court holding the trophy up to the cheering fans. Little did I know it wasn't too far away. My competitive nature and family support have played an important role in pursuing my dreams.
NCSA: Tell us about your interactions with college coaches so far.
Dickerson: Well, I am the oldest child in my family so this is all new to us. We are just beginning the recruiting process and I have only had one real contact in the past with Hillsdale College. I'm working on it!
NCSA: How is your team doing so far?
Dickerson: Well, being a sophomore and having two State Titles means we must be doing something right. My freshman year I played right side and no back-row due to the 6 skilled seniors we had. However, this past season placed much more pressure on my personal performance and leadership because I was one of the more experienced members on the team. I played middle hitter and back-row which was quite a transition for me. Our season was definitely full of challenges. We had a series of injuries beginning with my sprained ankle, and followed by six or seven of my teammates getting injured. At one point we all just had to laugh about it because it was all we could do to keep from crying about it! It seemed as though we would finally get used to a rotation when another player would go down. Many people said this would be a "learning year", but as a team we had our eyes on the prize, stayed positive throughout the entire season and beat the odds by winning the Class D State Championship.
NCSA: What are your goals?
Dickerson: In the second half of my school year, I am working on maintaining/improving my grades. My academics are very important to me because I know that having a good education opens up all kinds of opportunities. I attend an accelerated program for math and science during half of my school day. The classroom work is very challenging, but I want to stay with it and succeed. Physically I hope to improve my strength and speed. I will also be focusing on certain skills throughout my club season (ex. back-row skills, blocking technique).
