Beach volleyball is a way of life for me! For six years now, I have loved playing this outdoor, challenging, exhilarating sand sport! I started my beach volleyball journey during the summer of 2020 when all the indoor sports were closed due to Covid. It is crazy to believe I am finishing my first collegiate year playing for the University of North Alabama. My freshman year has been full of ups and downs. Navigating how to be far away from home, live with a roommate, and of course manage my life with an extremely busy volleyball schedule. I have gone through all the basic freshman difficulties. I have learned so much about myself, worked very hard and am thriving. Playing beach volleyball at the D1 collegiate level has fueled my passion for the game even more. You never know what it’s like to be a college athlete until you experience it. It’s a whirlwind of new friendships, scary conditioning tests, being dedicated to attending class, volunteering, supporting other athletes and truly having a crazy schedule. But honestly, I cannot imagine life without waking up at 6am to lift weights or running a million suicides. Or going from class to a three-hour practice in the rain and then back to class again. The level of competition is fierce, and it’s driving me to get better. Even on our “off” days my teammates and I meet at the courts and play drop-in. I absolutely love being on a team and we spend a LOT of time together. We braid each other’s hair, cook and watch movies together, do community service projects, carpool to practice, and of course, travel and play volleyball. Being a college athlete gives dedication a purpose! I do not just want to work hard for myself, but for my teammates who are putting in just as much effort. I have begun my studies in Sports Management to pursue a career in helping others with their athletic experiences. Last November I received a scholarship to be a demonstrator at the AVCA Coaches Conference. What an incredible experience to make professional connections and work with top beach volleyball coaches in the country, like Olympian April Ross. I became homesick after coming back from winter break as I have not gotten to travel home like many of my teammates due to the distance. But it’s the sacrifice I made to play the sport I love. College is expensive, and I now appreciate every little thing. Since beach volleyball is my full-time job. I do not have a lot of extra time to earn money. I was blessed to have been a recipient of the Tardus Beach Volleyball Scholarship in 2025. It was a tremendous financial help! However, the challenges of being from Colorado and playing beach volleyball in the south continue. UNA’s beach program is not heavily funded, so as a team we do fundraisers to help cover expenses. This also means athletic scholarships are at a minimum and divided between teammates. My Dad is on a fixed income due to retiring, and my Mom has been unemployed, but has been refereeing volleyball to supplement her income. This summer I will be coaching junior beach and indoor volleyball, providing private lessons and refereeing. Working this summer will not only help me make money for school, but to gain skills and connections that I will take into my future career as a coach or running an athletic complex. Plus, help keep my beach volleyball skills strong for next season.

“Sports” could be my middle name! Growing up like most kids, I tried every sport imaginable. I loved learning, and competing in any sport, whether it was gymnastics, volleyball, ninja, indoor skydiving or beach volleyball. I have been blessed to pursue them all and find my passion. There are so many things I love about athletics, the atmosphere and people are unmatched. The experiences I’ve had are what inspire me to pursue a career in sports. There is no life I want to live without sports in it. The first sport I was passionate about was gymnastics, anywhere I would go I would be tumbling in the grass. Although my lack of flexibility stopped me from advancing in class, I decided to teach myself. I self-taught myself a front handspring all the way to a back tuck. Gymnastics soon evolved into the sport of Ninja Warrior. My dad and I were obsessed with the show American Ninja Warrior. I loved the stories and hearing how hard people worked to be on the show. My house is still covered in ninja apparatuses that I would practice on every day. It’s safe to say every new sport I discovered I was obsessed with. I always wanted to improve and be the best. Growing up I watched my dad learn the sport of indoor skydiving. Of course, I needed to learn, and I quickly fell in love. I was enthralled by the sport of body flight it became the only thing I thought about. Once I entered the competition world it became my life. This is where I learned that sports can be a profound part of life. I was trained by world class coaches that took me to the top of the sport. In 2022 I was on the only ever all-girls teenage 4-Way Dynamic team. We won 2nd at USA Nationals and 2nd at the World Cup in Belgium. I was surrounded by the best in the world and competing against the best. Knowing all the hard work paid off is a feeling I want to feel forever. At age 10, my volleyball journey began. I started in a recreation center, then Club, then high school varsity. Playing for fans and with my friends was an amazing experience. My true love is beach volleyball though. The difference between indoor to beach volleyball is having to perform every volleyball skill in the sand, with just one person instead of six. My sophomore year I started my recruiting process, and it brought me to the D1 collegiate level. Currently I am a freshman on the University of North Alabama’s Beach Volleyball team. I have already started helping others with their athletic experiences. For 4 years I have officiated adult co-ed beach volleyball, I have coached and taught volleyball lessons to 11–15 year olds. I have been a member of the Denver Women’s Sports Alliance and was selected as a demonstrator at the last AVCA Coaches Conference in Kansas City. I have been fortunate to excel, but not without challenges, emotional ups and downs, exhaustion, financial challenges, and playing for different coaches. I want to take everything I’ve learned and help others enjoy, learn, compete, and thrive at whatever level they are at! I am majoring in Sports Management, and I will work in the sports industry. I want to offer a space for athletes to learn, train, and compete. I will also be a coach! I want to mentor and encourage others in sportsmanship and skills, plus celebrating the rewards and awards of their experiences. And not to forget…make life-long friendships.

I am a referee l for a sport that is a little different than others. I referee co-ed adult volleyball in the sand. People ask me, “How did you start refereeing co-ed adult volleyball?” Well, here’s my story. I started playing volleyball when I was 8 years old. Both my parents played, so I grew up around the game and was excited to start my journey. I began with recreational volleyball then played competitive indoor club. However, my journey started to evolve in 2020 when Covid shut everything down. Since nothing was happening indoors, I discovered sand volleyball, also known as beach volleyball. There was a beautiful place in the mountains with four sand courts and endless practice time. That is when I fell in love with beach volleyball. I found comfort in the sand. At 15 years old I was training at an indoor sand facility and when my training ended, there were adults arriving to play. I saw there were referees, and since volleyball is my life and I know all the rules, I thought, why not become a referee and help others learn and enjoy the game? I asked management if they would hire me, and they did! It is four straight hours of officiating four matches in a row. I was nervous and a bit scared, but I was up for the challenge. Refereeing adults has taught me more than I thought it would. It has given me confidence, patience, plus the understanding and appreciation of the responsibility's referees have. Most of the adults are kind, understanding, appreciative and truly fun. I look forward to refereeing. But I have had my challenges and have learned to adapt as there are different skill levels and I adjust how I make calls depending on the level. I have learned to stand my ground and stay calm under pressure. I have had players yell in my face, broken up arguments, and handled strong personalities. These experiences have pushed me emotionally and, but they also made me stronger. There have been moments when I wanted to quit. But I chose this job because I want to help others learn and enjoy volleyball. Since I was 15 when I began refereeing, I was not driving yet. So, my Mom started refereeing with me. It has been great to have this experience with her. She now officiates girls and boys high school and indoor junior’s club volleyball. I am proud of her. Four years later I still refereeing even though my time is limited now that I am playing D1 collegiate beach volleyball. I’m majoring in Sports Management and want to pursue coaching or owning a volleyball club. But I will not give up refereeing. Through refereeing I developed leadership, emotional strength and it has shaped who I am, a woman dedicated to helping other enjoy the beautiful game of volleyball.

Why do I want to play beach volleyball in college? If I could, I would play it all day, every day! I feel incredibly blessed that I get to play the best sport in the world. Nothing beats it. However, I am from Colorado and that has its challenges. A landlocked state with 5 months of winter. Don’t get me wrong, we have warm days and can be outside, but often the snow is falling. My love for beach volleyball started in 7th grade, it was 2020. No one was playing their sport, but in the foothills of the mountains, there were 40 kids learning this crazy sport called beach volleyball. My mom took me one day to the Flourish Club and I was hooked. That summer I was there 4 days a week, 3 hours a day. Loving every second! In the winter of 2021, I decided to give up indoor volleyball and pursue beach 100%. With beach I get to use all my skills…serve, pass, set, block, and kill! It’s just my partner and me. No one subbing in. I have learned and continue to perfect the mental strategy of the game. So, I have come across many challenges. The club Flourish eventually closed, court availability is limited and finding high level training is difficult. I have found ways around these challenges by traveling for training, competing in big tournaments, partnering with girls from other states, training with women and doing semi-private lessons. I work out at 5:45am to increase my strength, endurance and vertical jump. The challenges have not stopped me from pursuing my dreams of playing beach volleyball at the Division 1 level. I am proud to share that I am committed to the University of North Alabama and will be starting there this August. I decided to play beach volleyball in college because it’s my passion. Being part of the fastest growing NCAA collegiate sport is exciting. I want to play at the highest level, be challenged, do my best, perform every skill and compete on a team. Another challenge is Colorado has one university with a beach program. It is a strong D2 program, but I want to play D1. By attending UNA I will be 1,200 miles away from home. Education is expensive itself, but the travel costs will add up. My parents have been my biggest supporters with their time and covering the expenses endured these past five years for me to pursue my dream. However, my dad retired from the steel industry and is on a fixed income. My mom, who works with older adults, was forced out of her job two years ago. She’s never made much money, but now her income is significantly lower. By applying for scholarships, I am doing my part to help cover the cost for my education. I plan to study Sports Management and have a career in sports. I love athletics! Currently I am a member of the Colorado Women’s Sport Collective. At events I meet women in the sports industry which are opening my eyes to different opportunities. I am the 2025 Ambassador for Team Speed, the gym where I work out at. Lastly, I am coaching beach volleyball to 14U girls. I am still figuring out the exact direction my career will go, whether it’s management, marketing, events or media, but ultimately, I want to coach! My goal is to help beach volleyball to continue growing and make a lasting impression on youth and young adults. Just like those who coached and helped shape me to who I am today.