When you played volleyball for over five years, one of your dreams is to make the High School Varsity team.
As a Freshman, I made my junior varsity team as a setter and became starting setter; and we had a fantastic year. I felt I was on the road to make the varsity team as sophomore.
During my freshman year, I also started to look at my dream school, United States Naval Academy. even went to a couple of summer volleyball camps at the Naval Academy. After my last visit this summer, I knew this place for me!
My college prep coach, Phil Black from Prepwell Academy told me to look at the “metrics” of D1 starters at my dream school and D1 schools in positions I would play.
Then it hit me when I realized that the average height for the setters at Navy(D1) was 5’10 to 6′, I knew I would never grow get 5’10”, let alone 6 foot. I am only 5’7”. I didn’t want my height to be issuew with college recruiters.
I did find out the average height of D1 Libero/DS is 5’6” and the average height for Navy’s DS/Libero for the 2022 Roster. Its 5’8’.
So I made a hard decision halfway through club season with IV Force to start training as DS.
I loved setting. My high school coach encourage me to continue setting, but I knew I needed to change the position to DS or Libero to get to my dream.
When club season started last year I was training as setter and DS, but I knew I had to pick a position. I switched positions on my Club team in February 2022 to full-time DS and no more setting.
For high school tryouts I went for Libero/DS position. I tried out for spot that I had only played five months. Instead of position I played for over 5 years.
I was happy to be selected as starting Libero for our JV team.
My dream to make varsity as a sophomore would be delayed, my club teammates and close friends made Varsity and I was so happy for them.
I also made another tough decision this summer, decided to try out for a new club, Rancho Valley Volleyball Club. They were larger club and competitive club that made nationals last year.
I was excited to be selected to their 16 Select volleyball team as their Libero.
These changes will allow me to improve skills as libero, get stronger, and faster, to be a leader on my JV and club team and get the playing time I need to play competitively and eventually become a collegiate volleyball player.
I am so grateful to my teammates at IV Force to my coaches, Coach Kyle, Coach Kim, I learned so much from them
But now I will concentrate on my new position and now taking private lessons with Ranch Valley VB Club, Premier Coach Vinnie to become a competitive Libero and attending RVVC College Prep-Elite Position Clinics through August and September.
This was so hard of a decision, but for now, my dream is on hold to make varsity, so I can achieve my long-term dream of playing Volleyball at the United States Navy Academy.
Oh yeah, I still need to figure out how to manage: English 10 Honors, Math 3 Honors(Engineering), AP Chemistry, AP European History, Spanish III and my duties on Secretary/Treasurer of Student Council and Youth Advisory committe with Yucaipa City Council. But that is for another blog post 😉
