Caitlyn Ray '19 Recruiting Profile

My name is Caitlyn Ray, and I am committed to do all I have to in order to play volleyball in college. Currently, I am a Senior and I just finished my 4th high school season for Oak Grove Classical Academy in Albuquerque, NM. I’m also about to begin playing in my 4th club season with the Albuquerque Rebels Volleyball Club (ARVC).

I started playing volleyball in 8th grade for my school, and ever since that time I've fallen in love with the sport. Despite the fact that I have not played volleyball for too long, I'm a very fast learner and I work extremely hard, on and off the court, to become the best student-athlete I can. I understand that working to become faster and stronger takes time. But with a very driven personality, I will always be committed to training outside of practice and watching lots of film in order to improve as rapidly as I possibly can.

If I could sum up my academic and athletic career in one word, it would be ‘pioneering.’ My parents were two of the eight founding board members that started my school in 2008 (I was in second grade). Since then the school has grown considerably, but because I’ve always been at the leading edge of the school, I’ve been the first to experience a lot of things.

• I’ll be the first graduate (in 2019) to have been at the inauguration of the school and have gone all the way through.

• I was on the very first high school Varsity volleyball team.

• Lord willing, I’ll be the first student to graduate with an athletic scholarship and play college volleyball.

Being a pioneer has not been easy, but it has proven to be fruitful. Pioneers often blaze an unknown trail to the benefit of those who come after. As such, it has taught me to be patient and work diligently for the goals I have set for myself. Being the first to do things has also given me a very teachable attitude and spirit. Many of these lessons have transferred to the court as being patient is necessary when you’re waiting for the right set to come so that you can crush the ball.

I’ve also been honored to receive several awards. Some of those are as follows:

• School and Club Volleyball Team Captain (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)

• House of Gutenberg Prefect (similar to class President) 2017

• 1st Team All-District (2016, 2017, 2018)

• 1st Team All-Academic (2017, 2018)

• 1st Team All-Metro (2018)

Additionally, I've enjoyed many opportunities to volunteer for my church and school totaling over 130 hours.

I look forward to the variety of academic options that college will allow me to explore. It is my desire that playing college volleyball will afford me the opportunity to not only hone my skills as a player, but further grant me the opportunity to further explore my academic interests. My classical education has given me a great foundation in language arts and mathematics, and even 7 years of Latin studies. One of the beautiful outcomes of a Christ-centered classical education is that it has helped me develop a love for learning. I have a great appreciation for Western civilization and all its contributions to the world. I love studying history, literature, English and Biblical Studies, and plan on pursuing these areas further in college.

Thank you for your consideration and time. I hope we can speak soon as I would love the opportunity to continue my volleyball playing and development with your school. I promise you will not find a harder working, committed player and student for your program.

Sincerely,

Caitlyn Ray