Kristi Black '18 Recruiting Profile

I’ve always been a very energetic person. I am not afraid to speak my mind and I never have been. My tenacious personality makes me a fighter. Even when I fail it makes me work harder. I’m not afraid of failure either, without failure you can’t have success. Growing up with such a supportive family made me who I am. I had an amazing Dad who made me a tough cookie, an amazing mom who taught me how to be a lady and older brother who taught me how to be a friend. They taught me that anything I say is worth listening to. I can tell you that the one thing I’m good at is never giving up. My mom said to me once, “We Black’s never give up on what we start.” These words are burned into my brain and it makes me push ten times harder than the previous day. I have never been the kind of person who would give up on anything or anyone. I can promise you that I will never give up on the game and I will never give up on my teammates.

I fell in love with volleyball the summer going into the 8^th grade. I had known what volleyball was but didn’t know much about it. I started out in a small club that was pretty close to my home. They taught me the basics, and the sport excited me. I love the speed of the game, I love the competitiveness, and I love the rush throughout my body when playing the sport. When I started playing volleyball I connected so well, and it felt so natural to me. I knew I wanted to play college volleyball the first time I touched the ball. I’ve learned so much about myself throughout my volleyball career. I’ve learned that being confident is what makes me a better player. I’ve learned that I can be a leader on and off the court. I’ve also learned that there will always be someone better than you, but when you step up and play to your true potential those players are no match for your mental and physical strength. I love the way I am today because of volleyball and what it has taught me as an athlete and in my everyday life. Volleyball has shown me that I can be successful in anything I do. It showed me how much better I can do in school if I truly put my mind to it. My goal throughout high school is to work hard and get the grades I want. I am not the greatest in school but I never slack and I do not accept anything that I haven’t done to my full potential. I have learned that time management is everything and I continue to get better at managing it. My academic goals in college are to get a good education and work hard and prepare myself for what comes after. I really don’t know what to expect in college. It excites me and I am eager to experience it. I’m open minded to the new experiences and any upcoming challenges.

The biggest obstacle I have ever gone through was when my dad passed away. He passed when I was 12 years old. He was racing his motorcycle and crashed. It is the hardest thing I have ever gone through. “You never know how strong you are until being strong is your only choice.” –Bob Marley. When I heard this quote I understood who I was and how I was going to handle it. I am a strong person and was told so by so many people. The funeral was a week later and I got up on the stage and spoke in front of over 500 people that had came to the funeral. I didn’t cry because I wanted people to know that I could handle what my life had now become. I had accepted the challenge and was ready to go through it with my family. I’ve learned over the past five years that God has a plan for everyone. I’m not sure what his plan is for me yet but I trust in him and that he will lead me on the right path.  I ride a dirt bike as well and continue to ride it because I love that I can carry on our shared passion. This has made me a strong young lady and I know how to handle situations that are uncomfortable and are hard to push through. I can handle anything that is thrown at me. Life is not meant to be easy and some realize it earlier than others. I have learned how to take care of myself and the people around me. A few characteristics I’ve obtained are, I know how to change any bad energy into happy or fun energy. A great skill that I have is I know how to ride a dirt bike. This has made me learn how to have quick reflexes and think faster. It makes me stronger and helps me learn that any competition I have is what makes me a stronger and more competitive person.