Paula Alarcon '14 Recruiting Profile

My dream is to be a doctor and to play volleyball in college. My dad and my mom have always supported me my entire life. I am from Peru, when I first moved to Tennessee in December of 2010 it was really hard for me because I did not know any English and I was going crazy because I didn't know when volleyball started. I have been playing volleyball for about 11 years, it has been passion for all those years. I always got to championships in Peru, I always wanted to be on the National team of Peru, but I moved here, so that dream has ended because now I want to be on the National team of the United States. It's a dream and who says dreams cannot become true?

My life in Portland Tennessee was really hard because I barely could understand English. And to play a sport you need to understand what the coach is saying so you could get better, but I couldn't. So my coaches would move me wherever they wanted me to go, they would make signs so I could see what they were trying to tell me. Like I said I struggled A LOT, but that did not stop my passion. I never gave up, we would condition for hours and hours, I thought I was going to pass out, but NEVER GAVE UP. After all of that I got medals from tournaments when I was playing for the freshmen team since my school did not get my credits from Peru, but the medals that I got were meant to the JV team, but I got them. And I also got the Horizon Award, which means that the coaches see a potential on you, and see that that you are going to have a great future with the sport, in this case volleyball.

But then next year I moved to East Hartford, Connecticut. It was a new life again. I tried out, and I made the varsity team which was crazy for me since I only played the freshmen team in Tennessee. I was a Junior and I got my ligaments injured so I was out for 3 weeks. But then senior year came, and I was the captain of my team. It was a great experienced since you had to be the leader on the court and wherever you would go, I had to be a good example for my teammates, and that is why I did. But in the middle of the season, I got a concussion which made me really upset  but that did not stop me from trying my best as soon as I could come back, and I did. I missed 2 weeks of the season, but even though I missed those weeks I got All Conference from Central Connecticut North, and I also got Offensive MVP.

These awards mean the whole entire world to me because it shows me how much effort I put into my passion, I never gave up and I never will until I reach my goal. Volleyball is my life and I would keep trying to get better because it is never enough.