Photo Credit: RJB Sports
Mount Holyoke – Volleyball and Tennis
How did Prep prepare you to play at the collegiate level?
Playing volleyball for Prep introduced me to a regimen and mindset that would stick with me forever. Working hard, believing in myself, and never giving up are qualities that I learned from my experiences with Prep teammates, friends, and classmates. I practice two hours a day from 4:30-6:30 p.m. except on Tuesdays and Saturdays, when I have games and on Sundays, when we are off.
How do you juggle your classes and your practice/game schedule?
The life of a student athlete at the DIII level is very similar to the commitment at Prep. Like Prep, Mount Holyoke acknowledges that academics take priority over athletics, so athletes are not punished when they need to miss practice for school-related assignments, but I have also learned to plan ahead to miss as little as possible.
What is your favorite memory from your Prep athletic career?
Definitely when our volleyball team played Texico in the State championship semi-finals of 2014 (my senior year). I believe that we connected the most as a team before and during that match when we tied matching ribbons to our shoes and motivated one another towards a common goal. It was this unity that I’ve always wanted and long for again.
What advice would you give to current Prep athletes who want to play in college?
Research the academic and living components of the college first. I based my entire college search on the opportunity to play on a Varsity team, which greatly limited my options. Prep athletes are most likely able to play on DIII college Varsity teams, but DII and DI universities may offer club or intramural teams that are competitive, as well.
What would you say were your greatest athletic and academic accomplishments during your time at Prep? At college?
I would say that my greatest athletic accomplishment was when I won the District Championship for Tennis in 2015 (my senior year) and played for the North team in the volleyball All Star match that summer with my teammate and rival, Desiray Anderson, who now plays at Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU) and continues to inspire me.