Why I Still Play Volleyball

How the impact of volleyball on my life inspired me to find new ways of enjoying the sport

17 year-old me passing a ball at the yearly Mid East Qualifiers, held in Indianapolis every year.

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Why I Still Play Volleyball

If you know anything about me, you know that I am a very busy person. It’s something I often pride myself in because I’ve gotten so good at managing my time that I have the ability to involve myself in all of the activities that I want to.

Part of this is because I had no choice but to hone my time-management skills as early as my middle school years. I started playing club volleyball when I was 11 years-old and by the time I was 13, I was traveling full time on a high level team. And I loved it. I loved being a part of a team and spending my free time with a group of girls who were just as passionate about the sport of volleyball as I was.

Me (Bottom row, far left, pink headband) and my 14U volleyball team after winning our first tournament in early 2014. This was the first year I'd played volleyball at a legitimate level and you can still see the fear in my face.

I continued playing through my senior year of high school and by that time, volleyball had become a part of my identity. My closest friends were the other athletes at my high school and my club teammates. My family was just as invested in the sport as I was—my younger sister also played and my parents traveled with us every weekend to our respective tournaments. Most of my free time was spent in a gym or on the court. And I liked it that way.

When it came time to decide whether I wanted to play in college, I was truly torn. As much as I loved volleyball and as much as it was a huge part of my life, I had other goals for myself and I wasn’t sure if volleyball fit into that plan. I went through the recruiting process and visited many Division III and NAIA schools but ultimately, no college gave me as much money as the one public, in-state school I had applied to.

When I left for college in August 2018, I fully expected that I would never touch a ball in a serious way again but I still took all of my equipment with me— “Just in case,” I told my mom. And thank god I did because within my first day on campus, my RA told me about the club volleyball team on campus—a club that included tryouts for two different teams and actually competed against other schools and their club teams. I tried out the fall semester of my freshman year and haven’t looked back since then.

Me (Bottom row, far right, in the midst of falling over) and my college club volleyball team posing for our weekly theme Thursday.

I’ve been asked by multiple people why I play club volleyball now—after all, it’s not as if I can go anywhere with it and my particular team won’t be winning Nationals anytime soon. But I play it because I love the sport so deeply that I really couldn’t stand to go “cold turkey” and just quit. The girls I play with are a lot like me. Many played pretty seriously throughout high school and went through the recruiting process—some are even former college volleyball players—yet decided that they either didn’t have enough money, or time, or the ability to commit to a full time collegiate team.

And I missed the aspect of a team—a group of people who all share a common interest and goal. The people that I’ve met just through the volleyball community here have already made such an impact on my life. My best friends here on campus are all on the men’s or women’s club team and I met ⅔ of my roommates through club volleyball as well.

As of Fall 2019, I took over as President of the club, where I now get to lead a team of some of my absolute best friends. It’s been an amazing experience getting the opportunity to reshape my team and the culture surrounding it. I can honestly say that knowing I can look forward to practice with my team or a weekend tournament has gotten me through some of the toughest times here at school.

Even though it takes up almost all of my free time, I prioritize volleyball simply because it keeps me sane. It’s the one time of the day where I can focus on nothing but my body and its physical capabilities for two hours minimum, sometimes even more. Volleyball has been a constant in my life, something to rely on and look forward to.

I continue to play as a reminder of where I came from and what opportunities the sport of volleyball has provided me, and to never take it for granted.