Claire Duley '23 Recruiting Profile

I began playing volleyball in the second grade and have been a competitive player ever since.  No one in my family has played volleyball.  My dad was a 5A Texas high school basketball coach, so I grew up in youth sports from an early age.  I tried everything and anything as a young athlete.  There is something about volleyball that makes me want to compete at a higher level than the other sports. I have always wanted to be the most successful player on the court and help make my team the most competitive team possible.

I am driven in all aspects of my life. I work hard at volleyball, but I am a hard-working student to ensure that I will be able to achieve the goals that I have set for the rest of my life. It is important to me that I receive an education that will allow me to become successful with my career path. As the National Junior Honor Society President, I decided that academics were on the top of my priority list. I am an active member in the Gold Standard Honor Society designed for freshman and sophomores in our district.  I love getting the opportunity to do community service as a part of this organization.  I am able to read to elementary kids before school, help work the Middle School Madness volleyball tournament and other various service projects throughout the year.  I also take pride in my Honor Roll placement each year. I am also actively involved in my school choir program. I served on my Freshman Class Council and am the hopeful Sophomore Class President when we return in the fall.

I have always pushed myself to be the best player on and off the court. My whole goal is to become a good teammate as well as player. I consider myself a leader on the court and a positive influence to my team and others. It is important to me to build relationships with my teammates off the court because these can last a lifetime and it allows us to work better on the court together. As a freshman at Chisholm Trail High School, I was privileged to make the varsity squad as an outside hitter.  The learning curve was insane, but playing with older and experienced players pushed me to fight for playing time and build necessary skills to win. At the end of the season, I was awarded the CTHS Volleyball Trailblazer Award as well as the Academic All-District Award. 

I have been lucky enough to have played club volleyball since 5^th grade.  I have learned a tremendous amount of volleyball skills and life lessons during that time.  Club volleyball season is my favorite time of year because of the high level of competition, relationships with teammates and skill building from world class coaches.  During the summer of 2018, I had the opportunity to participate in a USA Volleyball High Performance A3 camp in California, Pennsylvania, at California University. Throughout my time spent there, I had the opportunity to learn from many of the best coaches in the country, build friendships with people that I consistently keep in touch with, and learn skills necessary in my sport.  It showed me many new ways of looking at the game of volleyball. I have competed in various National Qualifiers and AAU competitions in Orlando.  I love the high level of competition and feeling of accomplishment at the end of a tough match.

I have the will to win.  I have the skills and mindset to fight to the finish.  I will soak up knew knowledge and apply it on the court on the very next play. I know what a privilege it is to play college volleyball, and I cannot wait to play at the next level.  Thank you in advance for your consideration.