Personal Statement
Volleyball is the deciding factor in every decision that I make in my life as I am always thinking, "How will this affect my playing volleyball?" After stepping on the court the summer before entering middle school, I knew it would quickly became a passion of mine. Volleyball took dedication, drive, and discipline. All important skills that I learned when I began riding horses at 6 years old. By age 7, I was showing my horse and earning various ribbons, trophies, and championship awards. I showed in various disciplines such as jumping, dressage, halter, hunt seat, etc. I enjoy the competitive challenge and began shooting for our middle school Archery team through the NASP Archery program. We won several region titles along with qualifying several times for state. As I continued to play volleyball, I made probably the hardest decision of my life in my freshman year. I decided to sell my horse and focus more on volleyball as I knew in my heart that I wanted to play in college one day. The very next year, our high school archery program ended because the school no longer had a certified instructor. Although disappointed, I did not take the loss of being part of a competitive archer team or selling my horse as a sign of failure. In fact, I saw this as more opportunities to play volleyball, attend clinics and camps, or seek out extra training sessions to improve my volleyball skills so that I could be better for my team.
I played on JV during 8th grade as a setter and outside hitter. I started playing Varsity volleyball in 9th grade as a right side and defensive specialist, but in 10th grade my coach had different ideas making me setter over our junior setter and starting senior setter. I knew that I could not let my coach nor my team down, so I trained extra hard. I have played club volleyball since beginning middle school and continue to play today. Last year I traveled 4 hours three or four days per week to have the opportunity to play for Prostyle Volleyball Academy in Tallahassee, Florida. I loved the experience and gained so much volleyball knowledge that helped me going into my Junior year season. One of my favorite things about volleyball is how the smallest of plays can heighten the adrenaline or knowing that you will have to give it everything you have in the face of a challenge. I am that athlete that truly loves to be on the court and hustles for the ball, even if it means knocking over a water cooler to get the ball back in play. The athlete that is dependable and encourages teammates even when the score is in favor of the other team.
Volleyball is very close to my heart and I would truly love to continue to play at the collegiate level while earning a degree in Forensic Science, Criminology, and/or Behavior Analysis. I will complete the Criminal Justice/Forensics Pathway when I graduate from high school. My goal is attend a college that will push me to be better academically and to be a part of a driven and passionate collegiate volleyball team.
