Kinsey Kerby '16 Recruiting Profile

My name is Kinsey Kerby and I am currently apart of the Merced College Volleyball Team.This is my sophomore year of college volleyball and I am currently looking to continue playing the sport I have so much passion for. Before even starting my journey as a Junior College Athlete I was just a senior volleyball player from Madera High School. As a junior my team ended as CMAC Champs and while going into my senior year I wish for the same thing, and to even be Valley Champs. However, the head coach that was coaching there for 4+ years decided to resign and we had lost a great amount of seniors my junior year. Senior year was all about rebuilding the program with a brand new coach. Season did not end how I had hoped it would; our record ended as 1-9. Throughout the rough season I still kept my head up. I was not only a senior on the team but I was also a captain, and I knew it was my job to stay positive and keep everyone up no matter the circumstances. With the many losses that occurred through the season I still gave every bit of effort I could give to this sport.

When season ended I ended up playing club in the spring with a club named Chowchilla Gold. Going in I did not know what to expect, but I was going to play with all my heart. With an ending record of 1-9 in high school ball; club ball was a total turn around. We were taking first in many tournaments. I was also a captain where a lot of pressure was held on me, but I was still going to be encouraging and uplifting no matter how much pressure was held on me. While going through my season in club I stumbled on a college named Merced College through my assistant coach who had played there. I went to one open gym in the spring where I met the coach, as well as the players and played along with them. After that first day at the open gym I had made my decision on where I wanted to go. So, I attended all of the open gyms afterwards dedicating my time to these open gyms so the coach could see the type of player I was and so I could also bond with the girls and improve along the way.

After coming off a great season in club there was no doubt in my mind that my first year of college ball was going to be a great one. During my first season I was moved around quite a bit of times and handled each position I played like it was the position I had played all along. My freshmen season record ended in 10-6; it was one of the best records Merced College had in awhile, and I was proud to be apart of a team that made such a thing happen. Now currently in the middle of my sophomore season, we as a team are striving not only to have such a great record, but to make playoffs this year. Currently our record is 6-1 and we are about half way through the season now. I realized how far along as a player I have come. I went from a 1-9 season in high school to winning tournaments and improving records and being in second place in the CVC.

I have grown so much from my struggles as much as I have grown from my strengths. There were times where I felt as if my struggles were outweighing my strengths, but staying persistent and giving all my effort and heart has helped me learn from my struggles and develop them into strengths in the future. My struggles have made me a fighter and ever since a fire was lit inside me I have never given anything less than my best, and I still strive to be better everyday than I was yesterday. I have learned to be versatile through being thrown into positions that I had never played before, but I never once complained about it; I played the position like I had been playing it since the day I started playing volleyball. In the past three years my love for volleyball has grown so much larger than it ever has. Being successful as a team rather than an individual is something I love being apart of. Volleyball has made me versatile, a fighter, and the person I am today. I strive to be a positive influence while being a go-gettter. I have developed so much as a played due not only to my strengths but also from my struggles.