NCSA caught up with rising volleyball star K.D. Almaraz about her high school career and the opportunity to compete at the college level.
NCSA: What motivates you before a big game?
Almaraz: Before any big game, I always have to listen to music, whether I’m in the car or in the locker room. I start off listening to rock/metal to wake me up, and then a few minutes before the team goes out, I listen to rap so that I can get pumped up. Being Catholic, I always say little prayer before I play.
NCSA: What are you looking forward to if and when you get the opportunity to play in college?
Almaraz: I love meeting new people no matter what situation I’m in, so that’s a cool thing to look forward to. But the number one thing I’m looking forward to is definitely playing at the next level.
NCSA: Why did you get involved in volleyball?
Almaraz: When I was younger I used to play soccer, and that was a family tradition. In sixth grade decided that I wanted to play volleyball. It wasn’t so much that there was an athlete I admired, it was the sport itself that I fell in love with, and ever since then I’ve been playing.
NCSA: Tell us about your interactions with college coaches so far.
Almaraz: So far I’ve gotten e-mails from a few coaches along with letters. I have definitely been surprised by some of the colleges that I’ve heard from, such as Georgetown, Syracuse and University of Penn. I’ve always wanted to play D1 volleyball it was just a big surprise for me when I heard from those universities.
NCSA: How are your team(s) doing so far?
Almaraz: My teams so far are doing well. My high school team made it to playoffs, and my club season hasn’t started yet but the team looks good and I can’t wait until our first tournament. Luckily there hasn’t been any challenge this year, and I’d like to keep it that way. Personally, I am excelling in the sport and this year I’ve been conditioning and working out more then I have in previous years and just working to be a better player. I can say that I am working very hard to that I can get far in the sport. Hopefully everything pays off.
NCSA: What are your goals – athletically, academically and in your community – for the rest of the school year? What are also your goals for the summer?
Almaraz: My athletic goals are for me to be the best I can be on the court and off the court. Like I said before, I’ve been working my hardest to be the best. My academic goals are for me to keep my grades up through the rest of the year and to score high on my SAT’s. A goal for the community is for me to try my hardest to keep the environment clean. At school I am in the Interact Club and we are caretakers, so we go to different houses to help out the elders, and I love doing that. My goal for the rest of the year is to enjoy the time I have left with my friends before summer starts, because I have a busy summer. I’ll be playing volleyball, going to Washington DC for a National Youth Leaders Conference, and then visiting colleges back east. When it comes to improving my speed and skills, I’m always working on that.
