Dylan Wilder '22 Recruiting Profile

Hello, my name is Dylan Wilder and I am currently the starting libero for the Charter School of Wilmington and my club team, Volleyball Performance Academy in West Chester, PA. My passion for volleyball began when I decided to try out in 7th grade for my middle school team. I instantly fell in love with the sport and worked hard everyday to make varsity. I ended up becoming the varsity setter and won a middle school championship that same year. In 8th grade, I discovered my love for passing and became the starting libero for the first time.  It was then that I knew libero was the position for me. 

After finishing middle school, I became a varsity starter as a freshman in a D.S. position and earned honorable mention All-State for Charter. Now currently a senior, I am our starting libero and was recently awarded first team All-State. In the future, I am looking to become a college level libero or D.S. at a competitive program.

Being a libero requires extreme mental toughness and physical persistence. I've learned how important these two things are in order to be a successful libero through personal experience.  Additionally, after making a mistake on the court, my ability to quickly reflect and then forget about it allows me to play more effectively with each new point. As a libero I know that I must lead the backrow and support my teammates passing with me in order for our team to work efficiently. 

Ever since I was little academics have been a huge part of my life and I've always enjoyed learning, but not just for grades or tests. I enjoy learning and improving skills that will benefit me in my everyday life. Examples of these skills are critical thinking or intuition which are useful for all aspects of life, volleyball being one of them. On the court, these skills visibly benefit me. Whether it's being able to make decisions a split second faster, being able to read hitters more efficiently, or being able to analyze both sides of the court and effectively communicate to your teammates what I see. All aspects of my performance on the court are amplified by skills acquired from succeeding in school.

My passion for this sport is also something that 100% sets me apart from other athletes. I only know a few other volleyball players that share my extreme addiction for the sport, and I've met even fewer players that share my addiction to passing and digging. Every single day I make it a priority to at least touch a volleyball at a bare minimum. I love this sport tremendously and nothing compares to getting a pancake, digging out a hard driven ball, or successfully recovering and running down a shanked ball.  All these things are what make me want to play every single day, improving my skills and watching myself grow as a player is the most satisfying thing to me.

All in all, I believe that my experience, passion, and wits as a player would benefit any  program that would consider me as a potential recruit.