Personal Statement
My name is Aleksei Mendrala, and I have been an athlete since I was 18 months old. My parents signed me up for the mommy and me classes for gymnastics and I spent the next 9 years in the gym, training and traveling around the country competing as a competitive gymnast. When I was 10, I decided I wanted to try other sports and began playing soccer and a year later lacrosse. I fell in love with lacrosse, and have continued to play since I was 11. In 8th grade, my sister's varsity volleyball team won the Western Massachusetts championship game, and that's when I decided I wanted to try volleyball. I tried out for and made the high performance team for Husky Volleyball Club in East Windsor, CT and from then on I was hooked!
My freshmen year of high school I played on the JV volleyball team, but was invited to practice with the varsity team every day, and went on to play for the Husky 15 National team as an opposite hitter, and defensive specialist. At this point I realized I was enjoying volleyball more than any other sport, and dedicated myself to improving through club travel teams, private lessons, and summer teams. Last year as a sophomore I helped lead my varsity team to the Western Massachusetts Championship game. I worked hard training as a defensive specialist and libero this summer, and currently I am the starting libero for my high school varsity team. I helped lead my team to victory this year in the Western Massachusetts Championship game, and I was voted player of the game. I was also named 1st team All Star by the Volleyball Hall of Fame, 1st team All League, and starting 7 for all leagues in Western Massachusetts. I was also voted best libero in Western Massachusetts. This year my club coach, Ryan Woodcock, has asked me to be a 6 rotation player because I am also trained as a hitter.
My goal is to continue to learn and improve over the next two years, and play in college. Through the years one consistent comment from my coaches has been that I am athletic, coachable and versatile. I value my coaches input, and I accept and implement constructive criticism. I am very competitive and passionate about winning; however I understand the value of learning from loss.
Academically I strive to always do my best, and with two parents who are both teachers, I have been raised to value education, and know that it's what will shape my future. My current GPA is 3.77 and my favorite subject is math. I hope to major in mathematics and business.
