- 2017 Highlights #2
Personal Statement
I am a junior attending Las Lomas High School located in Walnut Creek California. Last summer my mother accepted a new position with her company resulting in my family having to re-locate from Mount Prospect Illinois to California. So, I had to transfer from Prospect High School to Las Lomas High School. As one can imagine, the transition has presented me with some unexpected changes and challenges. Luckily, I have had volleyball as a mainstay. We moved to Walnut Creek (which is about 20 miles or so east of San Francisco) in early July allowing me to attend the Las Lomas summer volleyball open gyms. Also, during the summer I was able to attend training sessions at Xceleration Volleyball Club. Not only was I able to continue to work at improving my volleyball skills but I was able to make some new friends and start the adjusting to my new surroundings doing what I love to do, play volleyball. This year I made the varsity team at Las Lomas. I have played both outside hitter and DS.
As a freshman at Prospect High School (located in Mount Prospect Illinois) I made the sophomore volleyball team. I began the year as the starting setter and then the coach moved me to outside hitter. I led the team in kills, digs and aces. Also, I played my third year playing for Rolling Thunder Volleyball Club (Buffalo Grove, Illinois). I started every match at outside hitter and led the team in hitting percentage and kills. The first two years I played on the 13 and 14 Blue teams for Rolling Thunder. When I played at Rolling Thunder I played both outside hitter and DS, but the majority of time was at outside hitter. I feel my strengths are my ability to play multiple positions on the floor, my leadership, court/situational understanding of the game and my eagerness to listen/learn and implement feedback from my coaches.
In addition to playing volleyball, I enjoy cross-training . I believe it is important to continually develop new routines which help me increase my quickness/speed, agility, vertical jump, and overall strengthen my core/body. It is a training method which mixes the traditional training routine with cross-fit and new ideas. Since I started, the benefits have been noticeable. My overall strength, my quickness, and my ability to cover more ground both on the court and above the net has increased. I approach training as an extension of volleyball. I am very much goal driven and training allows me the time to push my body to new limits. The rewards for my hard work become evident at each volleyball practice and every game. It has taught me that while on the court or classroom I can always dig a bit deeper to squeeze more out of my ability.
I also enjoy volunteering with the youth group from church at WINGS (Women In Need Growing Stronger). WINGS is an organization providing support for women and their children who are fleeing domestic abuse. Many times they arrive with very little but the clothes on their back. So, many times we spend time putting together quick travel packs. The travel packs include everything from toothpaste to clothes. Depending on the time of year we may be doing yard work, painting, but most of our time is spent wrapping presents for the children before Christmas, Easter baskets before Easter. There are times when we clean and organize the meeting rooms for fund raising events or we may organize the food pantry. This organization has become extremely important to me. It is the most rewarding time spent. I have come to appreciate the small things which many take for granted. When I first wrapped Christmas presents for the kids who didn't even know where they were going to wake-up it was, as they say, an eye-opener. It was the first time I became aware of how difficult the lives of some people, especially kids. As a result, I have a great appreciation for the benefits in my life and never take anything for granted.
I approach volleyball with the same awareness. I do not take volleyball for granted. I know there has to be hard work, sweat and constant learning to continually grow as a volleyball player and as a person.
