By Zach GoldmanÂ
Q: Your team is widely known as one of the most talented teams in the state. What role do you play on it and what responsibilities do you have?
A: I play middle blocker, a position which it makes sometimes tough to turn a game around because we rarely touch the first ball. However, this just means that I have to learn how to take control of the game in other ways I do my best to pump the team up, encourage them and try to get everyone fired up even when we are playing off.
Q: How has your season gone thus far?
A: My season has been great. I am just happy to be able to be on the court with the rest of the team. Itâs also great to play with so many girls I love. That dynamic makes for such a great atmosphere on the court.
Q: You transferred here at the beginning of your junior year from
Marymount. Why did you transfer and how hard was the change for you?
A: My brother went to Harvard-Westlake, and he loved it, and I had always wanted to go here in the first place. My wanting to be here never really left throughout my two years at Marymount, and midway through my sophomore year, I realized I wanted to do something about it. So I decided to apply to see what happened. I got in and it all fell into place from there. To be honest, I was really nervous prior to starting junior year simply because it is such an intense academic year. Also, everyone has been together in their class for so long that I wondered if I would adjust and find my niche. But fortunately, the switch was easy, and I made lots of close, new friends quickly in the year which helped me transition.
Q: You recently made an appearance in the Los Angeles Times. How did that come about?
A: During our pregame warm-up for the finals of the Dave Mohs Tournament at Hunington Beach High against Laguna Beach, I was just stretching when a woman walked over and asked our group where I was. I was kind of confused and I didnât know what she wanted, but when she pulled me over to the side, she told me she was from the LA Times and that she wanted to interview me. I started freaking out. I could hardly put sentences together, it was so exciting.
Q: You are at a crucial junction in your volleyball career, a leader on a team that has Division I and state title aspirations. How do you think you and your team have responded to the constant pressure?
A: I think our team has responded really well to that pressure. I mean, we all have the same goals: to win CIF and go all the way in State. I guess I donât believe we think too much about the pressure. We think more about what we have to do to win each game for ourselves. Each of us honestly just loves volleyball, and to us, itâs not about what we have to do or what other people expect us to do, itâs more about that we all want to win so badly for ourselves.
Q: You have committed to Boston College. What were some factors that contributed to your decision?
A: I chose Boston College for a lot of reasons. First, I knew I wanted to be on the east coast. Itâs just always where I have seen myself going to college. I knew I wanted to be near a city because if there wasnât one, I think that I would feel too separated from everything. Also, I wanted a school that has a lot of pride because of its great academics, but also in its athletics. BC just has absolutely everything I could ask for in a college, and that is why Iâm so excited to get there in the fall.
Q: Next year youâll be playing in the ACC, a major volleyball conference. How will you need to adjust your game to become successful on the college stage?
A: The ACC is a big conference, which I could not be more excited about because I love the competition. Although next year I start on a college team, I plan on bringing the same, if not more, intensity and more coachability to the program. Iâm just excited to be able to be part of that program and I hope I can just continue to expand my game.
