Bella Diedrich '25 Recruiting Profile

When people ask me why I, being 5'1", play volleyball, the answer is easy because it's something that's been imprinted on my heart and seared into my brain since before I can remember: I didn't choose volleyball, volleyball chose me. It sounds cliché, but I've always felt that way. I recall telling that to my dad a few years prior, and he just laughed. When I asked him why, he simply responded, "Because I know it's true."

I do not seem like a typical volleyball player upon first impression, which has forced me to work twice as hard as most people. I've played for 8 years now, starting from a little NYS league that my mom coached until I started club once I entered middle school. Throughout the ups and downs I've had in my relationship with the sport, I've learned that it's not how many times you get knocked down, but how many times you stand up. And every time that I make a mistake, that's what I think about. Every shanked ball is an opportunity to get back up and send the next ball as a dime, proving that I can bounce back from anything. I always aspire to be unfazed and focus on the next point.

The rush of playing volleyball is something I don't get from anything else. That feeling when the ball comes over the net is indescribable. My drive to excel in this sport is what gets me up in the morning. Playing is involuntary for me, like breathing. But the play doesn't just happen on the court, I believe it's also what you eat, how you exercise and train to be the best version of yourself, and your mindset and attitude. That's how I've committed myself to being an all-around athlete, who also has a 4.7 GPA, is in the top 2% of her class, and aspires to study aerospace engineering and eventually become an astronaut.

I hope to be the most dedicated, motivated, and hardest working person you'll meet. Thank you for your time and consideration.