Alyssa Rito '20 Recruiting Profile

As both a student and an athlete, I believe in going above and beyond what is asked or expected of you. I always give 110% and strive for excellence in everything I do. I have played many different sports throughout my life but the moment I touched a volleyball for the first time, there was an immediate connection and naturalness with the sport that I hadn't felt with any other. I knew I wanted to play the sport for the rest of my life.

Nothing in life has ever come easy for me, therefore I believe that I am one of the hardest working student athletes around. I am very passionate about volleyball and have overcome many challenges to be able to play. Freshmen year I made the Varsity team at my school, and that was by far one of the highlights of my volleyball career. But playing a varsity sport as a freshman was not easy. I had to learn how to balance academics with volleyball. I am able to attend my school, St Joseph Notre Dame (a private, college preparatory school), because I have received many scholarships due to my academic excellence, so I couldn't let my grades slip through my fingers during the season. At first it was challenging but all in all, I ended with a 4.0 GPA and have learned many life lessons that I could use both on and off the court: time management, hard work, perseverance, teamwork, and mental toughness.

As this past club season came around, I received financial aid from the club of my dreams to be able to play for them, but even still my family was short on funds. I fdid fundraising and even got a part-time job to help pay for the club fees. It was a lot to juggle along with school, but in the end it was all worth it.

Unfortunately towards the middle of the season, I suffered an injury and was out for a part of the season. When I returned, I was not at my prime and understandably, the starting lineup had been rearranged where I was no longer in it, so I was devastated! However, I turned that devastation into determination and the determination turned into passion and hard work. I made sure to go above and beyond what was expected at practice, whether that meant being first done when running lines, showing up to practice early, and even as little as calling out open spots on the court so our hitters knew where to put the ball. I believe all those little things added up and made me an even better, more aware player. For our final tournament, we went to AAUs in Florida and I was ecstatic to have earned my spot back on the starting lineup. Both myself, as an individual player, and our team as a whole, played better than we had the whole season. We ended 5th out of 182 teams and AAUs was the experience of a lifetime.

I am looking for a program that will challenge me both academically and physically as an athlete. I am am honor roll student, enrolled in rigorous AP and other advanced classes, but along with being a student, I am also just a girl who's in love with the game. I love the team aspect of volleyball and the idea of "bettering the ball" every time you touch it. If it's a bad pass, better the ball with a good set. If it's a bad set, better the ball as a hitter, with a great swing or a smart shot. It's the optimistic spirit of the sport, and the unification of a team that made me fall in love with the sport in the first place.