Ilyssa Ocampo '22 Recruiting Profile

Tell coaches about your collegiate goals and aspirations--

My long term goal is to play at the highest level of volleyball I can, given the opportunity, or to become an interior designer. Volleyball has been apart of my life for as long as I can remember and I am very passionate about it. Although, I have always had an eye for designing rooms, what should go where, and color schemes. Making everything organized and visually pleasing is something I enjoy doing. After volleyball I do hope to hold a steady job and be able to take care of myself.

What makes you a good candidate for their team?--

I have always been a leader and I show my leadership skills the most when I am playing volleyball. I am fast and very aware of what is happening on the court. I can also Set and be a DS along with my main position as a Libero. I am a hard worker and I am always looking to improve in any way I can.

One of my hardships being a volleyball player has been being underestimated based off of my size and height. It doesn't matter my size, what's more important are my skills on and off the court. I have had to work hard to improve my communication and reading skills. I may not have a long stride to cover more court, but I am fast and willing to do whatever it takes to keep the ball up.                                                             

What makes you different from other recruits in character, athletics, and academics?

I have always been someone to put others before my self and I make sure my whole team is successful. I have also been invited 3 years in a row to attend the USA Volleyball High-Performance Camps. Academically, in 8th grade I was a straight A student and graduated with highest honors. Currently, I am still in the beginning of my freshman year of high school and my grades have been doing well so far. A big factor that makes me different from other recruits is that I meet with a Sports Phycologist, by the name of Adam Saucedo, once a week. This is something I wanted to do because volleyball isn't just about your physical skills. I would say volleyball is 25% physical and 75% mental. In this competitive sport, I want to make sure that I am not only up to par on my volleyball skills, I want to be as mentally strong as I can be.