The Highs and Lows of College Volleyball

To be honest with you this could be its own 10-page paper but as much as I can I’ll try to condense it. I have so much to say about college volleyball, the good(great), the bad, and the ugly. Collegiate volleyball has been everything that I had ever hoped for and more. It has also been nothing like what I thought it was going to be. I am very close to this topic, so my perspective is flawed. When I look back on my collegiate volleyball career in 5 years my thoughts will probably be very different than they are now. To give you some background I am entering my 4th year of college and my 4th season of volleyball. My freshman year we made it to the sweet 16, my sophomore year the elite 8, and last year (my junior year) we made it to the final 4. (Can you guess what comes next ;).)

My day-to-day life as a student athlete (Non-covid) involves usually waking up for weights/conditioning in the morning, going to class, doing homework, going to practice, going to film, going to tutoring, taking care of my body in the training room, and hopefully taking a nap (I need my nap). Everyone tells you how you learn time management as a college athlete and boy they weren’t kidding. Simply finding time to eat in between walking to class, to practice and everything else is something you have to schedule out. Trust me, trying to eat and walk to class just ends up with you sweating your butt off and out of breath in class when you get there. It’s really quite impressive what all you can get done in a day when you have it all planned out.

A lot of people ask me what the highs and lows to college volleyball are. And I'll tell you that the highs are very high, and like a lot of things the lows are very low. When you put your heart and soul into something, falling short is nothing but heartbreak; but that's all part of the job. If you want to experience the highs of playing collegiate sports the lows are going to be the driving force to get you there.

Let's start with the lows. As with anything that you want to be really good at you have to put an absurd number of hours and devote your life to that one thing. In high school you miss out on a lot, and I mean a lot. School dances, concerts, friend’s birthdays and just quality time with your friends and family. These are all things that you have to sacrifice if you want to make it to the collegiate level. I'd love to tell you that once you get to the collegiate level that the sacrifices are over, but they only get bigger. It turns into weddings, funerals, family vacations and more. When you're playing a collegiate sport your physical and mental limits are pushed further than you ever thought possible. There are times as a student athlete where your mental health is challenged. There are times as a student athlete you physically don't think you can do it anymore, and there are definitely times where you wonder why you're doing this in the first place. Your love for the game will be challenged and your confidence level at times will stoop to nothing. You're in a whole new environment that, especially as a freshman, seems way out of your league. Here at the bottom of the totem pole, bottom of the food chain, and having to start from Ground Zero again.

Now I know what you're thinking "Ella why would I ever want to put myself through something like that?" And trust me, it's not for everyone. But while the lows are low, the highs make it all worth it. Being a college athlete is everything I dreamed of and more. While my love for the game has been challenged and questioned at times, it only grow stronger when I am able to see actual growth as a person and as an athlete. I get to play collegiate volleyball and compete for a national championship with 15 teammates beside me who want and dream of the same thing. How amazing is that? My teammates are the thing that keep me in it. At times it feels like the things you're going through are only happening to you, but it is a humbling thing to know that there are 15 strong women going through the same things as you. That's what makes volleyball the best sport on earth. All the hard practices, film sessions, and just bad days in general are spent with your team. So, when you look back on the end of a season and see just how much you went through together, that feeling is indescribable. No one else understands exactly what you went through except for yourself and your teammates. The highs are SO high. Getting to compete at the collegiate level is something that every athlete dreams of but only a small percentage can actually achieve. If you get the chance to play at that level, go for it. For me, my favorite thing about college volleyball is just the people that you get to surround yourself with. Your team is an automatic friend group full of people who want and do the same things as you. That's something that you don't get anywhere else in life. I've met some of my best friends during my time at Washington and we have made friendships that will last a

lifetime. I am a competitor; I have been my whole life and if you're reading this you probably are too. Competing at the highest level has been a dream of mine ever since I started sports. I am blessed to be at a school that has the best fan base in the country and at a program that values high level volleyball. I'll tell you what, that's the biggest high of them all. Walking out into your home gym packed with people who are there to see YOU, there's just nothing like it. I remember after my first collegiate volleyball game I was in the shower in my hands were still shaking from the adrenaline. I looked at my teammate and asked her “is this how every game feels? Who needs drugs when you have volleyball!" I was high on life. The pressure of every game and the level of play of every game is any competitors dream. Every point matters and its awesome. Moments like in this picture are what make it all worth it. That's the feeling you chase every day.

College volleyball is so hard, don't let anyone tell you that it's not going to be hard. But also, don't let anyone ever tell you that it won't be worth it. Regardless of if you play, ride the bench, if you're a walk on or if you have a full scholarship, the connections that you make with your teammates and coaches, and the growth that you make as an athlete and as a person are what make it all worth it. I know now that I can take on anything that life throws at me. You may be thinking that sounds cheesy and yeah, it might be. But who I am is a direct correlation of the time spent, sacrifices made, and lessons learned in the gym.

It's not for everyone, and you have to know that going into it. Your values will be challenged but you also learn exactly who you are and who you are not. Who you want to be and the things you value we'll all be brought to life through your experiences as a college athlete. I didn't know who I was when I walked in the gym on my first day of preseason freshman year, and I probably don't know exactly who I am walking off the court of a final four either, but every day I get a little bit closer and my values get a little bit clearer.

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