Alacyia Smith '21 Recruiting Profile

Winning the State Championship in volleyball when I was only in the 8^th grade at Victory Christian Academy was a huge accomplishment for me. However, I feel I grew the most as an athlete while playing club ball for Louisiana Volleyball (LVBR), Feet2Ball Athletics, and high school ball for Lee Magnet High. During my second year of club season, my team, LVBR, made it to the state finals.  Also, while playing volleyball at Lee Magnet High, my team made it to the State Championship in both the 2018 and 2019 seasons.  Not winning the state tournaments made me want to play and work that much harder as a student-athlete. It also helped me to focus my efforts more on becoming a solid Defensive Specialist, as well as increase my skills as a growing Libero.

When I was in the 5^th grade, I became interested in playing volleyball mainly because my best friend played volleyball. Watching the players run all over the court seemed as if it was a lot of fun, and was something more to become involved in, in addition to my academics. Growing up as an only child, I was shy, reserved, and sometimes selfish in that I did not want to share anything I had with others. Volleyball is fast-paced and requires players to work together as a team. Playing volleyball has taught me to learn to value and respect my fellow teammates. This sport has not only improved my self-confidence, self-esteem, and mental abilities, it made and continues to make me feel happier about life in general.

Moreover, involvement in volleyball has improved my motivation and ability to grow and succeed. As a team player, my cooperative efforts have led to the success of the team; in essence, when my team wins, I win.

Lastly, volleyball players often make strong connections that extend far beyond the court. As a player, I became friends with players on every team I’ve played on thus far. This interaction provides an emotional network of support to someone like me who has basically been a loner most of my life.

My overall goal for high school ball and club ball is to continue to master the sport of volleyball, perform well, academically, and become one of the top 10 students in my class (class of 2021). In regard to my college years, my goal is to major in Mass Communication, with a concentration in Analytics or Business Administration. I whole-heartedly believe that my work ethics, enthusiasm, hard work, and team-playing abilities will afford me an opportunity to compete at the collegiate level, as well as make a positive impact on my team.