Gretchen Lindner '26 Recruiting Profile

Unlike many other athletes who aspire to play at the college level, I haven't been playing volleyball for very long. From a young age, I dedicated much of my free time to soccer. But in sixth grade, I tried volleyball for the first time, joining my middle school team. Shortly after that first season, COVID hit, and I stepped away from the sport. At the time, I wasn’t fully convinced volleyball was the right fit for me, and I didn’t touch a volleyball for two years.

The summer before my freshman year, I started going to open gyms at the high school I would be attending. Initially, I went just to make new friends, but I quickly realized how fun and exciting the game truly was. My height gave me a natural advantage, which helped me find success even though I lacked technical skills and experience. While some of those early gaps in mechanics still affect my play at times, I’ve been focused on refining my technique and expanding my skill set.

Club volleyball is where I believe I’ve grown the most, although I’ve only been able to play one season so far—in the spring of 2024. Unfortunately, I had surgery in December, which kept me off the court for a few months and limited my ability to participate in the 2025 club season. However, I’m committed to improving throughout the rest of this year.

I pride myself on being extremely coachable. I genuinely enjoy learning more about the game and work hard to apply the feedback I receive in both training and competition. Sports have taught me a lot about perseverance, teamwork, and who I am as a person. I love being part of a team, and I’m not ready to give that up.

I truly believe that, with the right program, I can continue developing my skills and become a valuable member of a college team.