By: Lyanette Martinez ‘25

 

What do you like about the game?  

“One thing I would say that I like about the game is that it is competitive. Volleyball consists of discipline, time, and sweat; I like to put my all into it when I do something. I also like the fact that it requires more than one skill.” 

 

How long have you been playing? Have you been playing since ninth grade or before?

“I have been playing volleyball with a team since my first year in high school, but I always loved playing with family and friends before I entered the high school stage.”

 

What is your position, if you have one?

“My position is an opposite hitter. When it’s needed, I play as an outside hitter.”

 

What hardships or challenges did you face during your time playing volleyball?

“Some hardships that I faced were mainly injuries. You can easily get injured if you don’t perform certain skills properly in volleyball. There was a season that I had to miss out on a couple of games because of a sprained thumb, but I didn’t let the injury get to me and quickly recovered.”

 

How many games do you usually play in one season? How many games have you played/won?

“In a season, we usually play around 24 games; the number changes because games can suddenly be canceled and not rescheduled. It also depends if it's in our section or not. Currently, my team and I have won 11 games.”

 

Do you want to keep playing in college?  

“I’ve thought about it multiple times, and I would like to play in college. If I do not play on the official school team, the club is an option. “

 

Advice for someone who is a novice athlete? 

“My advice for a novice athlete would be not to give up. You may not be where you want to be, but you’ll eventually get there, especially with hard work and dedication.”

 

Tips for advice for other athletes on how to get better?

“My advice for other athletes on how to get better is, whenever you have free time, you should use it to work on all basic skills and improve on whatever skill you need for your position.”

 

How would your coaches and teammates describe you? 

“I think my coaches and teammates would describe me as optimistic and determined. I always try to keep the team in a good mindset and keep us on track for our goals.”