Personal Statement
Hey, there! My name is Lily Horton, but I go by “Ketti”. I’m a 6’2” front row player, class of 2022. I’ve played all three positions at the net and I think it has really helped me be my best where my heart lies – RS. It helps me read what the blockers and hitters on the other side of the net are thinking and I can anticipate where I need to be. It also puts me up against the other team’s best hitter and I like that challenge. My high school coach has me playing MB where I led the team in kill% and was 6th in blocks for Class 4 in the state of Missouri this past season as a sophomore. Even though I prefer the right, I’m happy to play anywhere that helps my team. I also know it helps my range and development as a volleyball player. You can’t surprise me with an out of system ball.
After the 2018-19 high school volleyball season, I played basketball for my high school team. It was a struggle for personal time and keeping up with academics doing both basketball and club volleyball at the same time. This year, I made the tough decision to drop basketball. Just before the start of track season, the coach talked to me about the crossover benefits of quickness and vertical if I did high jump for my school. With little club overlap, I decided it would be a good thing. Again with range. Just like playing multiple spots on the floor makes me a better all-round player, I believe perspectives and conditioning achieved in other sports does the same.
My goal in college is to focus on Journalism and Political Science. My hope is that volleyball helps me get there. Whether that leads me to political journalism or strategic communications in politics or something else, it’s too early for me to say. But it’s a blend of things that I have passion for and when I get deeper into studying them, I have faith I’ll find the right combination. I feel like I should have more ideas about what kind of school (private, public, faith-based), the size, or location, but at 16 years old, I have to confess I only know that right now I don’t have a feel for where those boundaries exist.
Thanks for reading a bit about me.