Abigail Schafer '16 Recruiting Profile

In college I aspire to get an education that will prepare me to successfully get a job teaching high school. I want to have an unforgettable four years, doing anything I can to be ready to take on the world when I graduate. That is my ultimate goal in college. I am going to college to prepare myself for what is ahead of me, but while I am there, I want to do what I love.

I love my sport. I play it as much as I can during the high school season, I participate in club volleyball to play in the winter, and I want to play in college to add another four years to my volleyball career. I love to play volleyball, and I play like I love it. I don't play to impress, and I don't play because I like winning (that's just an added bonus). My love of volleyball makes me a good candidate for collegiate volleyball teams, and so does my leadership on and off the court.

This year, my junior year, I was given the position of team captain, along with two seniors on the team. I genuinely felt honored by this position because I was elected by the rest of my team. Not only did I enjoy going to the captain's meetings before games, but I got to enjoy being a role model for the younger girls on my team. More than once this season did freshman come up to me with their problems, knowing that I could help them. Along with being a leader to others, I consider myself to be very teachable.

Since I started high school, I have had five different coaches. My JV coach my freshman/sophmore year, my varsity coach my sophmore year, my varsity coach my junior year, and two different club coaches. Every coach that I have had has a different method of teaching, and even teaches different mechanics. My varsity coach this year disagrees with everything my coach last year taught my team, so I had to basically re-learn my hitting form, and as a hitter, that can be a challenge. My sophmore coach would often take a look at what I was doing, tell me to do it a different way, and I would do it. I would be a great candidate for any team because I can adjust and adapt to any coach.  I learn fast physically, as I do mentally.

I have been told by my parents, by my coaches, and school guidance counselors that I should go to a college for my academics, and playing volleyball might just be an added bonus. I agree with them. My parents support me through every step of my life. They go to sports games, meets, banquets, even if they might not want to. They support my academics every bit as much as they support my athletics. Ever since I was little, they have always pushed the academics, because they knew that was important. They have never pushed my athletic life, knowing that its my decision whether or not I will succeed. I have always known that academics are important. My mom and dad have been telling me ever since I got interested in volleyball that they would rather have me get an academic scholarship over athletic. I try hard in everything I do. I compete with myself in almost everything, and that has given me great results.