Beatriz Hernandez '19 Recruiting Profile

My name is Beatriz, I am in love with the player I have become and the player I see myself being in college! I started playing volleyball at 12 yrs. old at the rec. center in my small but huge in sports hometown Bryant, Arkansas. As I took my first underhand serves, hits, and attempts to dig balls, I knew this was my sport!  My first coach must have seen something in me or me in her.  I loved her confidence in what she expected out of me! This was the experience that set all of me, my mind my heart to play for the game. 

Flashing forward to the present me, the 17-year-old still hungry for more volleyball after high school, I hear about how great college is, but it just wouldn’t be great if I didn’t have a volleyball family. Volleyball has become a haven for me, everything about volleyball has impacted my life in a positive way-even when the odds have been against; I have learned through these challenges. Everyone and everything, tough coaches, teammates, parents (specifically mine), travel, running, practice in gyms without A/C (6 yrs. by the way), fund raising, more running, bruises, some more running… has become part of my life. 

I have also had the academic support I’ve needed.  I have been blessed to have had great teachers along the way that prepared me academically for the next level. It has been relatively easy to decide on a Psychology Degree. My mother says that I am her “gentle giant” because I forever was taller and stronger than girls and boys my age (many have caught up, but I am still stronger than many, ha!) yet I have always had a heart to help. Because I am fluent in Spanish, I would love to be able to usemy bilingual skills with my desire to not only help through counseling but to learn about the great organ that works in such marvelous ways. What goes through one’s mind during a practice, during a game and then to think about it, is amazing!  My name is Beatriz Hernandez, Volleyball Player.