School: Senior, Wright City
Favorite athlete: I look up to Elena Scott. She is such a determined player I admire so much.
Pre-game music choice: My pregame music taste is always songs my teammates and I can turn on in the gym and just sing like no one’s business.
Do you have a pregame routine? My pregame routine is I usually always have to have a slick back ponytail. I have to listen to music, tape my shoulder, eat a snack and then at the very last minute put my contacts in when Coach B reminds me.
Favorite celebration after winning a match or game: I always love an after-game team dinner or ice cream.
When did you start your sport? I started playing rec volleyball in 7th/8th grade then my high school career took off as well as making my first travel team my freshman year.
What made you join your high school team? I joined my high school team because I was moving schools and I just loved the sport so much I wanted to advance myself past rec, but also wanted to make friends.
Did you play any other sports growing up? I played soccer and took part in gymnastics, but both of those were at a very young age, until my freshman year, I picked back up soccer
Do you have a certain athlete you aspire to be like or model your game after? I don’t aspire to be a certain athlete. I aspire to be just like my mom and dad (Melissa and Mikell) and their determination of things and how much love and heart they put into everything that they’ve built. I get the volleyball aspects from my mom who played in high school and I eventually took her number in honor of that. She’s definitely my biggest role model.
What is the best advice you’ve gotten in high school? I think one of the best pieces of advice I’ve gotten in my high school sports career is “don’t play like you don’t want to lose but play like you want to win.”
What life lessons has your sport taught you? My sport has taught me many life lessons about finding myself as a person, but not depending on a sport and making it a sport find my whole life. It taught me confidence. It taught me friendships. It taught me wins and losses.
What is your favorite memory of your time in school? My favorite memory from high school is definitely my sports memories: all the fun times we have during practice and games, the wins and the losses, and the friendships that become just like sisters. I will always cherish them. My junior year volleyball jamboree I played Libero and it was a scramble point and I ended up at the net and tried to block a ball (Liberos aren’t allowed in front row). Everyone laughed and joked with me about it. To this day, one of my favorites.
What advice would you give an underclassman? One piece of advice I’d give is don’t be so ard on yourself and don’t take the time for granted. These four years will be fastest four years you could think of.
Do you want to play sports in college? I wanted to play in college for so long. I think I will play in college if an opportunity comes up, but right now I’m planning to focus on my career.
