Grade: Senior

Position in volleyball: Outside hitter, defensive specialist/libero

Other sports in high school: Soccer and track

Club sport: Beach Volleyball

What were your main goals going into your senior season? “Getting more kills during games and making my swing faster and more powerful, not getting any major injuries.”

What were your goals for the team?  “To build off of last year by running a faster offense. To make it past the 1st round of playoffs.”

What did you focus on in the offseason?  “Staying healthy, becoming better at setting and placing the ball as a hitter. Looking for holes in the other team’s defense and then hitting the ball there. Also doing mobility and injury prevention exercises to get ready for in season.”

How has beach volleyball been going? “Really good. I have increased my vertical jump a lot by playing in the sand, and I’ve started to learn some more advanced plays to do during a tournament. Me and my partner got a lot better throughout the season and learned how to play and utilize each other’s strengths to perform better. The coach I had this past season really helped me learn more specific beach volleyball techniques I can translate into a tournament, rather than just playing like an indoor player on sand.”

What do you love most about the beach volleyball game? “It’s more strategy than indoor. You only have two people on the court; so instead of just hitting the ball over, you have to look to see what’s open and place the ball. It is also a more independent sport. You get to call the timeouts and you get to challenge the ref. You get to make more decisions than a coach usually would. You can also control the speed of play more than indoors, and you have a lot more freedom. I had played indoor club for so long I was getting tired of it, so when I switched to beach volleyball it was still volleyball but different.” 

In what ways has what you’ve learned there translated to help you in high school volleyball? “Beach volleyball has helped increase my vertical so I can get higher on the net. Since beach is more strategy, I got to see holes in people’s defense better and exploit them by placing the ball. My ball control and knowledge of the game definitely got better, because beach volleyball helps you look at indoor in a different perspective.”

What was it like as you neared 1,000 career digs at Kingwood Park? “I was very excited and surprised. I didn’t know I got that many defensive touches because I saw myself as more of an offensive player.”

Did you know in the home game that you were close when you ended the game with 999 digs? “I was unaware. It was actually really funny, though, because the whole team knew. I didn’t understand why they were upset when the game ended. I kept asking what was going on and everyone just told me it was a guy drama. I felt really bad though because I thought there was something seriously wrong because everyone on the team seemed affected.”

What does it mean to you to reach that milestone? “It means for me that all of the little things and the hard work really does show up in games. Over the years I have really grown as a player, especially on defense. I wasn’t very good at defense compared to people in club when I was younger, so to see how far I have come has been really awesome.”

Who or what in particular has most helped you get to this point in volleyball? My mom and my older sister are definitely inspirations to me. My mom played volleyball in college at HBU and coached after that so she helps explain and give advice after games or if I have questions. And God has really helped me pull through this season. There were a lot of times I was mentally tired of being in pain and injured. There was one game I just recovered from a back injury so I could hit again, and then only after a few points I strained something in my rotator cuff and I had to take another break. I didn’t know how I could keep mentally going. I had to really rely on God and my relationship with Him throughout high school and to get me to this point in my volleyball career. Also, knowing I am playing for something greater than myself. I am playing every game like it is my last, because I know that as an athlete you are one injury away from it all being over. Emily Pavel is one of my teammates, and she has also really supported me, as well as the whole team.”

What are your goals in the playoffs? We haven’t gone past the first round in all the years I have been in high school, I think really just making it past the first round would be awesome.”

What will you most miss about high school volleyball? “The amazing people I get to practice with and goof off with everyday, that’s something I will miss looking forward to. This has definitely been one of my favorite teams I have been on, and I will miss everyone a lot. Also being the captain, I feel like I take care of the team and I will definitely miss that leadership position.”

What are you looking forward to about high school soccer this year? “The team this year will be a lot smaller, but we will also be a lot closer. I am excited to get to spend time with everyone and the friendships.”

What is your advice to kids who are looking to be two or three sport athletes in high school? “Even if you think you can handle multiple sports and homework, it can definitely take a toll on your mental health. Even if you feel great in the moment, it can impact you in the future and cause physical problems because you put too much on your body. So take care of your body. Also, don’t make sports your everything. Sports can be taken away from you so fast, and then if it’s gone because of an injury, you won’t know what to do with yourself because the thing you put your whole self into is taken from you.”

If you could pick a favorite moment from any of your sports in high school, what is one that sticks out the most? “My freshman year, I got pulled up to playoffs for volleyball. I got put in during a game and I got to pass a ball and then off of that my older sister got a kill. Getting to play with my sister was one of my favorite memories, because I got to play with my favorite volleyball player.”

What have you learned most about yourself through trying to juggle all your activities in high school?  “I have learned that I have to stop for a minute and actually breathe, and remember why I am doing this. My value doesn’t come from how well I do but from God. I have to take time to realize what I am doing, or I just get lost in my packed schedule and I don’t actually think about anything. I just go through the motions.”

What are your goals for after high school? “Get committed to a college to play beach volleyball and become a coach.”