Personal Statement
As sweat trickled down the side of my face, my heart began to race, and the noise of the crowd rose to a dull roar. We were down 8 points in the third match and the winner would advance to Nationals. This was the defining moment in the biggest tournament of the season. Against a front row of girls who looked like Amazons, I knew the only way to score was to go up, and hit it with EVERYTHING I had. I slammed the ball so hard it ricocheted off the blocker's hands and out of bounds. I scored the winning point! I don't think I've ever jumped with such excitement and joy as when I ran into the arms of my teammates. We had experienced a difficult season, playing teams older and larger than us but we did it! We were going to Nationals! Although it might sound like an exaggeration, it was like living a scene from a dramatic sports movie where the underdog ended up victorious in one heck of a fight.
I learned so much from that season, probably more than I had in the past three years of playing volleyball. Previously, I was not the star player or the one who got to shine. Despite the general opinion that I might not be a strong enough player, I never gave up. I worked hard on my skills and strength training. When the next season came around, I came back with confidence and determination, which enabled me to grow into the player I am now. As captain, I became the leader and athlete I dreamed of being. This experience taught me that a strong work ethic and a positive attitude goes a long way in helping me accomplish my goals. In high school, my main goals are to finish in the top ten students of my class and gain the knowledge I need to be prepared for college. Now in college, my goals are to be able to play volleyball while studying medicine to prepare myself for the work force. I am capable of accomplishing many great things in the future, and I know I can do it as long as I set my mind to it.
