Rachel Hurt '19 Recruiting Profile

      My goal is to play volleyball in college and hopefully even professionally.  I grew up watching the Fighting Illini Volleyball team play,  and that truly inspired me to want to pursue volleyball.  In middle school I played as a middle hitter, but in high school, I was switched to outside hitter. In high school I played on the JV team freshman year, and played up on Varsity my sophomore year. Sophomore year I played as an all around outside hitter, and was awarded with the Big 12 All Conference Honorable Mention and All Area Special Mention at the end of the season.  Before my sophomore season, I played club volleyball at Peak Performance VBC, but I am playing for Illini Elite VBC for the 2016-17 season, and made their 16 Cardinal team. I am currently being trained as an outside and opposite hitter.  I made varsity again as a junior as well.  As a teammate, I find myself extremely supportive and as someone anyone can lean on or depend on for motivation and energy.  I try to obtain the qualities that I want of my teammates, so that I know I am benefiting the team individually, as well as a whole.  In school,  I focus on grades and achieving my best. I constantly strive to improve my academic skills and productivity whether it is in the classroom or at home. It is always school and volleyball over everything for me, and I plan on keeping it that way. Personally, I am a very determined and driven person, player, student, and peer. I love to succeed and I love it more when I know I was a part of a team's success. I hope to bring success, passion, and energy into a collegiate team one day.  I hope you consider me as a good candidate to complete your 2019 volleyball roster.