Nothing beats a clean, untouched kill around the block. My favorite moment may not be a specific moment in my volleyball career, however, it is the feeling of gaining a point through skill and game knowledge. The satisfaction and hype that a clean kill gives is completely unmatched to any other feeling I have ever experienced and it is the reason I have come to love the sport of volleyball. Honestly, volleyball is my first true love and I have been honing my skills ever since my older brother started playing in 5th grade. My mom was a coach for his team, so she would take me to his practices when I was in 1st grade, which was when my love for the sport began to blossom. I started organized volleyball in 4th grade and consistently practiced at least 3 days a week, not including workouts. I have put an immense amount of hours into this game and honestly, it has paid off. I have not always been the best at the game and have even been benched multiple times throughout my career, however, through determination, consistency, and steadfast work ethic, I was able to succeed and separate myself from my peers. Through all the lengthy practices and 10-hour tournaments, I have gained a true gift. Playing volleyball in college has been my dream ever since I made my high school volleyball team. As a freshman, I watched the upperclassmen play hard and were very successful. I wanted to be like them. I hope that the boys who are now entering high school and want to play volleyball look at me the same way and love the game as I do. Volleyball is not just a physical game, it is also extremely mental. There are always pre-game film sessions to improve the weaknesses within our game and spotting the weaknesses in the opponent's game and how we can exploit them. It is also mental by how you carry yourself and react to your teammates during the matches. If you let the last play get to your head then it will influence your next play. As a player, I believe that volleyball is at least 30% mental. No matter how good you are, if you allow your emotions to determine your ability in the game negatively, you will play down to your opponents. By not allowing emotions to interfere with your play you will be able to play at the highest level possible. I never allow myself and other teammates to get in their heads and I am always there to keep them positive and upbeat. I believe that my physical ability in addition to my volleyball knowledge and relationship with teammates, helps me excel in the sport. I will be playing volleyball in college at the University of California San Diego and I have plans of keeping volleyball in my life for as long as possible. Regardless of whether that would be recreational or competitive, I always find joy in being on the court. I plan on showing others my passion for the sport and hopefully, they will find the same thing as me, a safe escape from all the stress of the outside world where the only thing you need to worry about is the next point. For the most part, I plan on growing the game through my constant play over the years. After college, I plan on playing volleyball at an extremely competitive level. I want to try to get on the AVP tour as I also love playing beach volleyball. I have played beach, grass, turf, and indoor all competitively. I would also like to get into the coaching scene to see that love for the sport sprout from other kids as it did for me. I also love seeing that competitive nature and drive from kids that are unbreakable and unwavering. In conclusion, volleyball is an amazing sport that has led me through life and brought me to all these amazing places, and allowed me to make so many amazing friends I would’ve never known without it.