Anthony Vuksinic '22 Recruiting Profile

I am always asked what makes my engine tick.   The answer is competition!  I thrive on it and always have.   I am that tall athletic kid that everyone puts expectations on, and I am glad they do.  It has made me continually push myself and taught me at an early age how to deal with pressure.  As a student athlete I am always striving for greatness always looking for improvement.   My coaches have encouraged  me to be a leader on and off the court.   They look to me to help get the team excited and fired up.   As a sophomore, I was that kid who enjoyed playing everything.  However, the demands of travel sports made me invest my time mainly in basketball.  That is until I got recruited right out of the bleachers by Sports Performance Volleyball Club while watching my sister play.    Volleyball was my sister's passion, she trained there for years, determined to play at Grand Valley State, which she did end up doing.   So  I saw first hand the demands it entailed and I am fully aware and focused on competing collegiatlely at a high level.    SPVC gave me the chance of a lifetime offering me to walk on to Nationals as a middle.  I found the entire experience exhilarating and discovered I really loved this sport.   When high school season rolled around, I jumped in and played outside for WVHS.  We took second in conference and once again I had a blast.   When the season ended, SPVC told me that I had a good shot for a middle spot on their 16 Elite team if I would practice extra and make up for lost time.   The problem was that it would mean quitting basketball all together.  To everyone's surprise I joined 16 Elite team and have never regretted that choice.  My sophomore year we played in the Open division and  we finished the year ranked 2nd Nationally.   We were favored the to win at Nationals but Covid had other plans for us all.  It only left me hungry to accomplish more.   

I also prioritize my academics and hope to pursue a business degree or explore options in science.  I made the difficult move my junior year to transfer from Waubonsie Valley to Wheaton Academy in order to enhance my education, become a better Christian and continue with in person classes.   As hard as I knew it would be to transfer, I knew I had to prioritized my future goals and character over my comfort zone and continue to look for opportunities to grow.

So, if you are looking for a strong team performer who is not afraid of change, commitment, and hard work then I am your guy.   I come from Sports Performance which is a very demanding program so I already come with the skills to manage myself, my time, and juggle my priorities.   I hope you like those things about me but what I am told sets me apart is that I am nice kid who is coachable without an ego getting in the way.  I truly love the game,  I love working together as a team, and the culture of the volleyball world.      

We finished last season ranked #2 in USAV and I am very grateful for the opportunity and time my coach invested in me!!!!   This year I am playing for Sports Performances's 18 Alpha team.  We just closed out Nationals in 5th place for the USA Division.  Please have a look at my videos and highlight film from Nationals.