Paige Allen '17 Recruiting Profile

I am no stranger to hard work and all of my hard work has paid off.  Being a late starter in the club volleyball scene and coming from a small school district, my skills when I began club were very raw, but I never let that stop me.  My club coach  told me that when I first started, he felt my skills were a year behind but 3 months later, I have caught up with my teammates, all of whom have played club ball since 7th grade.  Although I am only 5'10, I was blessed with a 28'7 vertical jump and am able to be an effective blocker and hitter.  I have played middle hitter for 2 years in High school and 2 club seasons, but I have also played a year of right side and have fallen in love with that position.   I have really enjoyed playing with my club team because we are truly a family.  Our motto:  We win together and we lose together. There is such a strong support system for those good days and for those bad days and I am very thankful that I can be there to lift others up when they are feeling down and I have others to do the same for me.  I suppose this is one of the reasons that I am choosing the career that I am.  For several years, I have been very passionate about becoming an Autism Spectrum Disorder teacher.  I devote all my free time to volunteering with Autistic children.  I have even created and planned an alumni basketball event at my school to raise money for our sensory room that the autistic students use.  I want them to have the support that I feel and create on my teams in their everyday lives.  I know that college athletes are very busy with their sports, but I want to continue my volunteer work with autistic students in order to make their college experience as strong as mine will be.