Genesis Steward '24 Recruiting Profile

Hi, my name is Genesis Steward and I have been playing volleyball for 3 years. I started playing my freshman year of high school and quickly realized it was the sport I wanted to pursue. I am an all-around player with the most experience as a DS, middle, and outside. I am never afraid to chase the ball to the ends of the earth if that means keeping the ball up. One thing about me, I will be the loudest in the gym! Being a 3-time starter and a junior, I have always taken on a leadership role both off and on the court but when our senior captain got injured, I was appointed my teams new captain due to my resilience, dedication, leadership and more. I am always one of the first to arrive to practices and the last to leave. By doing this, I have been able to put in extra time working on my skills. I am now my teams strongest server and blocker due to the hours I put in off the court and during the off-season. While my skills are constantly improving, there are still times I will make a mistake. I have learned to not get in my head and that it is important to take what you’ve learned the previous play and use it to make the necessary changes for the next ones. The phrase I use to remind myself of this is “flush it” because keeping those negative thoughts will only throw off my game more. 

While volleyball is a great passion of mine, I have found many others over the years. For almost 15 years, I have been dedicated to dancing and have trained at world-class schools such as Alvin Ailey. My aspirations are to take my dance background with me to college to get a degree in. I can give credit to my years of performing on stage as being the reason why whenever I step out on the volleyball court, I leave it all out there. The dance world is highly competitive and it is through those experiences that I have developed a growth mindset and always seek to not only improve but to also showcase my unique aspects and what I can bring. 

Being raised by two highly-educated parents taught me that my academics should be my priority. However, on my own, I have learned that maintaining happiness and a good-mental health will also reflect in my academics. With this, I have determined that I want to major in marketing in college. My creative side is a part of my identity that I have always worn on my sleeve. To be able to work in a job that allows me to be passionate and confident in is my goal. My ability to understand the people I’m addressing and knowing precisely how to get them what and where they need to be is something I take great pride in. Just like a volleyball team, a marketing team relies on each individual to do their role as best as they possibly can in order to be successful.

Overall, volleyball has taught me a lot about who I am as a player and as a person. It taught me that even though things might not go my way all the time, I have an entire family by my side to lift me up, just as I’d do for them. It taught me that respect and the ability to listen will make me a great leader in all areas of life. The adrenaline from my competitive nature with the adrenaline from my teammates is what drives us closer to being a family. It is the energy me and my teammates bring to the court that shows our opponents that while we are not always the better team, we will always strive to be the team that plays better. If you told me 3 years ago I would be starting my college recruiting process, I would have never believed you. But just like an out-of-system play, you just have to adjust and give it your all!