Elyssa Cook '18 Recruiting Profile

In college, I hope to broaden my horizons and grow as a person and as a student. I want to study creative writing, and I hope someday to be published. I also hope to continue playing volleyball, as I have dedicated myself to the sport for many years and hold a passion for the game.

I believe I'm a good candidate for your team because I'm a hard worker, a team player, and because my skills are only improving; I haven't plateaued as an athlete. While my height might not seem impressive, I'm basically all legs and arms; I have an imposing vertical and big blocking hands. Off the court, I'm always a supportive teammate, and I do my best to make the people around me happier. I'm an extremely competitive person, but my high school team prided itself on integrity and has instilled in me a strong sense of sportsmanship; though I love winning, I always show the highest respect to competitors and referees.

Athletically, I believe that my vertical, upward trajectory, and positive morale influence on the court set me apart. I'm essentially built like a gremlin: I have the shortest torso that anyone has ever seen and quite long legs. If my torso were even somewhat proportional to my legs I'd be well over six feet. I have long arms that match my legs and big blocking hands. Additionally, I'm still improving as an athlete. My learning curve hasn't even begun to level out; I've been a bit of a late bloomer in terms of athletics, meaning that I'm only improving with time. Additionally, during my most recent year on the team, I became what my coach called "the emotional leader" on the court: I learned how to hype the team up with my positive attitude and my passion for the game. 

In terms of academics, I can say that I'm an absolute nerd. I've maintained a 4.0 throughout high school, and I always take the most challenging classes that I can. My academic passion is English and writing, but I achieve highly in math, science, and history/econ/government as well.