I started playing volleyball because of my mom. She would always tell me about how she used to play and loved it, so I decided to give it a try. I also wanted to be more active and have something to occupy my time. In fourth grade, I picked up volleyball and have been playing for five years since then. It has definitely changed my life. One of my favorite memories about it was meeting my beach volleyball partner. I was at Burke Lake about to do my usual practices with my dad, but all of the courts were full. My dad made me go ask a father and son who were using the courts if I could practice with them. Mind you, I had never played competitively up to this point and was nervous to practice with strangers, but I went and asked anyway. They were the most welcoming people, and come to find out, they had a daughter my age who played volleyball. We ended up becoming beach volleyball doubles partners. It’s shocking how one conversation could set up almost ¼ of your life.

I’m an outside hitter for the AHS Varsity volleyball team, a libero for my club team and a defender beach doubles during the summer/ early fall. Through all of this, my parents are my number one supporters, and have been since the day I fell in love with volleyball. I always try to show them that the hours of training and practice have paid off. My dad always tells me to “just keep swinging.” It isn’t easy being a 5’4 outside hitter, and going up against some big hitters can be fun, but challenging. His words really stick with me. When she can, my mom comes to my games straight from work. Having her there makes me feel so loved, and seeing her smile really makes it all worth it. Both of my parents sacrifice so much just to help me succeed.

I have some really big dreams, some related to volleyball and some not. I want to travel the world and explore different cultures. With my volleyball career, I hope to play D1. Since 4th grade, I would watch and dream about those girls playing on TV. Playing at a collegiate level is something I would never turn down, and I hope one day, I can hear my name announced on Big 10 for the best Libero.