Personal Statement
I have been playing volleyball, including college, high school, and club, for ten years. I have served my teams as a six rotation/hitter for five years and as a setter for five years. My athleticism and versatility have allowed me to serve my team wherever I was needed and I have earned a starting spot on each team each year.
In college, I have served as a hitter at all three positions, mostly because of my versatility and my ability to block. As always, I have served my coach wherever needed. I have also worked as the back-up setter for my college team, even though I haven't set for years. My coach said I "still have my hands." I have served as defensive specialist when team members were injured and ended up working this position at the end of the year during our tournament play even when all my teammates had returned. My coach has told me that he feels comfortable putting me in anywhere because he knows I can play. I am really glad he has confidence in me, but I would really love to have "my" position and play it consistently from game to game. Some of my college highlights are 98% serving percentage in tournament play and 29 assists in my second game as setter. I also had 11 out of 16 games with no hitting errors. These accomplishments were all during my freshman season.
During high school, I led my team during the regular season in five stats - # of kills, kill %, hitting %, # of solo blocks, and # of total blocks and was second in # of aces and ace %. My serving percentage was 92%. I was the only non-senior to receive all-conference team recognition in my junior year. I'm pleased with these stats, but I think what sets me apart from other players is my passion and energy for playing this sport. I have had a number of my coaches tell me that the passion I bring to my team is contagious and makes my teammates play better. I love the game and I love to encourage my teammates to play with all their heart. My coaches have also commented about my ability to read the ball and opponents and to react quickly. I think this skill is vital to good play and it is something that coaches say is hard to teach. This ability has made me a valuable team member.
Volleyball has allowed me to learn how to overcome distractions and to not let mistakes derail me from good play. The fast pace and quick strategy of this sport has taught me to focus on the next ball and maintain a competitive edge. The rigor of volleyball has also shown me that I am a perfectionist, which motivates me to practice skills until I get them right. This forces me to set and reach challenging goals. My expectations for myself are high. This elevated standard also transfers to my academics. I enrolled in honors and accelerated classes in HS and took my first college class during the summer after my sophomore year of high school. I finished HS with five college classes already completed which prepared me well to excel in my coursework while I get to play college volleyball. I'm excited about what the future holds for me!
