- 2023 Highlights #2
Personal Statement
I work hard, am enthusiastic about sports and academics, and enjoy the camaraderie of a team. I started competing in volleyball much later than most volleyball players (end of my freshman year).
I had played competitive soccer since I was 4 and always enjoyed my teammates and the high level of competition. I have played a variety of other sports growing up from basketball to lacrosse and even competed in High Jump for my varsity Track & Field team. I had played rec volley for my local parish team from late elementary through middle school. The last year we went to the City/County Final which is a really big thing in the St Louis Catholic Youth League. If I am honest we were just a bunch of good athletes and knew nothing about positions, rotations, or technique. We lost in the final to a talented team. It was a wonderful experience and kicked off my passion to play volleyball in High School. Unfortunately Covid hit and I was unable to tryout for any club teams my 8th grade year and had to tryout for High School with no real experience of volleyball at a competitive level.
I was the very last cut my freshman year and since then the coach has admitted that they should have kept me. None the less I was heartbroken and determined to make the JV team my Sophomore year. It has been hard to find good club teams with openings this late in my playing career. I found a local club that was forming a new team, tried out, made the team, and by the end of my first season I was their top player and was recommended to tryout for their travel team.
My Sophomore year I went on to make JV played OH and then played for the Club Travel Team at the end of the year. On club I kept exceling and by the last few tournaments I was play OH and DS going all around every game. I was learning more and more and growing with many complements on my jumping and hangtime. I was measured as a 24.9” vertical in my last combine (Nov 2022) but actually felt I was a little off that day and could do a little better.
Since then I have decided to make a major commitment to volleyball and my desire is to play at the college level. I finished my Club Soccer Season with a great tournament in Sarasota Florida and decide that would be my last season of Soccer. It works out well, as I played up with many Seniors so as they graduate and moved on I can focus on Volleyball.
I am using the extra time (as I have been a 2-3 sport athlete for years) to focus on my studies and to pick up extra “one on one” training with a local coach (prior NAIA Volleyball Champion) and to do regular weight training for volleyball. I continue to pick up more weighted Honors and AP classes in my Junior and Senior year so this will also help as I try to maintain my 4.2 GPA (or improve). I enjoy mathematics and would most likely want to major in something around mathematics, physics, and/or engineering. I am currently ranked 9 out of 446 students and have a good amount of advanced math, science, and engineering classes in my schedule.
