Samantha Rosser '22 Recruiting Profile

I remember back in 7th grade,  I was introduced to volleyball for the first time. I started playing in the gym along with everyone else as an obligation, and as time went on it became my favorite sport. I started attending my school’s summer camp every year since then. I was a shy and timid kid so this sport allowed me to get out of my comfort zone. The same year, my coach told me I should try setting, since there were not many setters. Naturally, I wasn't the best. Keep in mind, that this same coach told me a few years later that I wasn’t good enough to play and that I should pick a different sport. After that I felt hopeless and ready to give up but part of me wanted to prove her wrong so I kept practicing and started playing club volleyball. It wasn’t until my second and third year playing club that I really got better and enjoyed the sport even more. I became secondary setter on both teams, which was fine because I could play back row as well and right side hitter on occasion. However, this past year was the first year I started out as setter and although our season got cut short, I would call it my favorite year of playing club because of the energy and chemistry of our team. I have struggled a lot with self confidence on and off the court, this mainly stemmed from not being given a chance on my school’s Varsity team, which I was on, only I rarely played. As much as I disliked being on the bench, it didn’t stop me from cheering on my teammates and making sure the energy was always up. Playing volleyball has not only taught me patience and perseverance, but also how to grow a tougher skin. I will keep working hard and always put in 100% effort no matter what!