Liliana Ayala '22 Recruiting Profile

I'm Liliana Ayala and I am a second generation born Mexican-American. My parents have worked hard to set an example with their education and accomplishments. College has always been my long term goal. I saw what my family was able to accomplish and I knew that it was something I could do too.  At a young age I was always around family, I only have younger siblings so I looked up to a lot of my older cousins. They're all very athletically inclined and played many sports as well as my aunts and uncles.  I was constantly going to their soccer games, passing a volleyball in the yard, or learning different strokes in the pool. Sports has always been a big part of my life. I always enjoyed playing them but I could never find one that I wanted to stick with, one that I considered to be "my sport." That is until I started playing volleyball. Now, it is the sport I love the most and I am eager to reach my goal of playing in college. 

Volleyball is my passion. I started playing about five years ago on a local city league and every year after that I played on a club team. I've also played throughout middle school and the three years I've been at my high school. I have played many sports in the past but I've never felt the same way about them as I do about volleyball. I'm a very hard worker and coachable as well. I am very openminded when it comes to coaching because I know that they only want to see me improve. I am often seen as a leader on and off the court for I have been Team Captain for every team I've been on. I am well known for my positive attitude and encouraging teammates when they are down. When I make mistakes I brush it off and am determined to correct it and win the point back. 

As far as academics go, I've always been a great student. I like to push myself with harder classes because I know I can handle it. I've always tried to make school a priority because I know that it will bring me more opportunities in the future. With playing sports all my life, I've gotten very good at managing my time and making sure I am putting my best effort into school as well as my sport.