Allison Hahn '21 Recruiting Profile

As a senior, seeking a college fit for me is one of my main priorities. When looking for a college, academics and sports will be the two main eye-catchers. Volleyball is a passion of mine and I enjoy every second of it. Being apart of a team throughout high school and college would be a high light of my academic career. 

During my freshman year of playing volleyball, I got the Cavalier Award. This means I represent what it means to be a Kennedy Cavalier as I am a determined and supportive player on and off the court. In my sophomore year, I was awarded MVP for volleyball and Sportsmanship for swimming. The sportsmanship shows support as I cheer on my teammates during swim meets, and the MVP award shows I’m skilled in more than one area. 

As a freshman, I started out as an outside hitter for the JV team. I was then moved to the setter and for the rest of the season into my sophomore year, this was my primary position. During a JV tournament at Largo High School, I was too, a setter for it, and our team won first place. Once I signed up for my high school’s summer league going into my junior year, my coach put me back as an outside hitter as my height and strength is an advantage for the team. 

On the Varsity team my junior year, I was captain and an outside hitter until our first official game. During the last set, I sprained my left ankle coming down from a kill. I was out for one to two weeks for recovery and felt as if I wasn't captain anymore since I couldn't be there on the court. I felt like an extra body on the bench for show, like I wasn't worthy of the captain position. All of my hard work over the past years, making up for the lack of club experience I didn't possess, was down the drain. I felt I didn't even deserve to have an NCSA profile, I wasn't going to have any footage or stats to record. I fell down a hole of self-doubt and worthlessness. My own thoughts of not being able to fulfill the captain position on or off the court bothered me indefinitely. I wanted to prove that I deserved this captain position no matter the circumstances. While I am sure my teammates thought I was worthy, it was more for me to prove to myself that I deserved it.

Suppressing my feelings, I continued to show up to practice, not because I was obligated to as "captain," but because I wanted and needed to be there for my girls. I needed to show them that no matter what, I will still be there for them every step of the way. I challenged myself to find ways to still lead my team. I motivated them in ways that were new to me but got accustomed to. Since I have a loud voice, I was always cheering my team on no matter what situation we were in, getting their energy up and running for the remainder of the game. I built a closer relationship with them now that I was able to take a step back from being the dominant source of leadership. And through these relationships, I built a stronger trust with the team and even respect from friends and peers who saw me push through my injury and still strive to be my best self and captain for the team 

After I was almost officially cleared, I was warming up for a game and sprained my right ankle. I knew I messed up. I knew I should have waited, but I didn't. I was too eager to play and that cost me another injury and my chances of playing in college. Nothing could get worse than spraining both of my ankles my junior season; the year I needed footage to be recruited or even considered for a college team. This sprain took less time to heal, especially since I knew what I would be going through. Regardless, the same worthless and self-doubting thoughts rushed to my head. I still pushed and pushed to get back on the court. And before I knew it, I was back and playing better than I ever have. We made it to the second round of playoffs, but that didn't matter too much to me, I was just happy to even be able to put my uniform on and play.

I’ve realized that many hitters are taller than my height of 5’8’’, but my determination and skill are what really matters to me. I’m strong and can get my hands over the net to hit and block. I include exercise every day to help increase the height of my jump as that is one of my main goals; to achieve a higher jump and stronger hit. 

I’m a very positive, outgoing, supportive, and friendly person. I was court captain of the JV team my freshman year and captain my sophomore. At the end of both of those seasons, I was moved up to Varsity to continue playing. During my Junior year, I was captain of the Varsity team. I’m a flexible person, and easily coachable. Since I know how to set, bump, and hit, being an all-around player wouldn’t be too much for me to handle. When it comes to improving, I usually get the task asked of me done the first or second time I attempt it. I love feedback as it helps improve me overall as a volleyball player.

Whenever I tell someone I’m signing up for recruiting for volleyball, people always ask “Do you play club? Because if not, I’m not sure you will get the chance.” I have known from the start that playing club volleyball will ensure a more definite spot on a team. But not having the financial capability for it doesn’t stop me from finding ways to better myself. I’ve enrolled in countless clinics at UMD and volleyball clubs to make up for the lack of playing club. I believe my tenacity to balance both my academic and athletic drive and friendly personality would make me a good candidate at any school.