Nicholas Azar '21 Recruiting Profile

The sport of volleyball has brought me more than just a love for the sport but a source of passion in my life.  The game of volleyball has taught me the values of hard work, commitment and the value of teamwork. These are just a few things that have made me who I am today are: my family’s influence on my life, my faith, and the fact I have failed and learned how to get back up and keep working toward my goal of playing college volleyball. Volleyball has brought me a new perspective and a sense of peace in my life.

The first time I was interested in volleyball was in 8th grade, I was interested in a new and fresh start in my sports career and volleyball seemed appealing to me.  I played on DVA at Wake Forest University.  I then moved to North Carolina Power’s 18u team as a 14 year old and played all around as a middle and right side hitter.  I played on that team for two seasons before taking my game to the next level by trying out for CUVC. I made the Carolina Union Volleyball Club (CUVC) 18U Onslaught Premier Team and we are currently ranked 7th in the nation.  I am the youngest player on that team and I travel 83 miles one way to play this game of Volleyball. I play outside hitter on this team and sub in sometimes for Defensive Specialist.  Additionally,  I was also selected for High Performance Volleyball for the  2019 18U A3 team and also wait listed for the 18U Continental Team. I also played sand volleyball in the summer of 2018 and traveled the entire East Coast and was ranked in the top 10 with my 18U partner by the end of the summer season. I enjoy playing sand because it gets me in better condition for the indoor game.

I have learned a lot about myself through volleyball.  In order to succeed,  I will need to fail and accept those failures and learn from those mistakes.  My academic standards for myself are very high and I work hard on staying focused on my school work and always put in extra work and effort.  My academic goals in college will be to continue a high grade point average and keep pushing myself in places where I’m weak and broaden my horizons.

I hit some obstacles in my first year playing. I didn’t get as much playing time as I would have liked and wondered why? I didn’t have the experience nor the mindset of the sport yet.  After the season,  I worked on developing my strength, skills and mindset everyday to continue to grow to reach my maximum potential. Having the mindset to keep pushing and keep working even when things are not going my way has been my biggest area of growth.  I possess characteristics such as determination, grit,  and a hard working attitude  I am approachable, coach able and able  to take constructive criticism.