Sebastian Quintanilla '26 Recruiting Profile

Although I am considered a late starter in volleyball—having only begun playing in the middle of my second year in the sport—I have trained harder than anyone I know. My journey started in Ecuador in February 2022 when I joined a team called Tigres. Recognizing that I was starting later than most players, I knew I had to catch up quickly. At first, I played like any other kid my age, but by the summer, I decided to fully commit to improving my skills. 

I joined my team’s training camp and became an official member of the squad, which meant double practice sessions. Additionally, I joined open gym practices with friends at a school called Colegio Menor, practicing 3 to 6 hours a day for a month and a half, with rest days only on Sundays and occasionally Saturdays. This intense regimen paid off, and I saw significant improvement in my performance.

A few months later, I moved to Honduras. Initially, the transition was rough. Due to the pandemic, I hadn’t been able to play for my school right away, but when I finally got the opportunity, I embraced it wholeheartedly. I faced challenges—I was smaller and weaker than my teammates, who were older and more experienced. However, my competitive nature pushed me to train even harder. I hated sitting on the bench, so I worked relentlessly throughout my freshman year to earn a starting spot on my school’s AASCA volleyball team.

My hard work paid off—I became a starter on a team that finished as the runner-up, and I was recognized as my school’s Most Improved Athlete. However, our success in 2023 came with a challenge: most of our team consisted of seniors, which left us without a full squad the following year. To address this, I took on the responsibility of recruiting players to rebuild the team. This experience taught me leadership and the importance of fostering a sense of family within a team.

Although the new team didn’t achieve the same level of success, I had a personal breakthrough. I was named the AASCA MVP of my team, earning an impressive 20 points in a three-set match during my second game. Later, I was also awarded Best Athlete of Volleyball by my school.

In the summer of 2024, I sought out the highest level of competition to further develop my skills. This led to my team becoming champions of the Liga Sub-18. I also gained recognition from one of the best teams in Honduras, Copanecos, who invited me to play with them. This opportunity not only allowed me to play alongside the best player in Honduras but also motivated me to continue improving so that I can consistently compete at the highest level.