Isabella Carrion '18 Recruiting Profile

I fell in love with Volleyball at the age of 10 when I was introduced to recreational volleyball program. A couple of months later, I was given the opportunity to join a club team just weeks before the end of their season. This forced me to adapt quickly to a much higher level of play and pressure, and I loved every minute of it. This is when I was hooked and knew volleyball was my passion. Since that time I've been striving to play at the most competitive level of club volleyball that I can achieve. During my first full year of club, my coaches suggested I try out for High Performance as an outside hitter. I was excited to make the ODP A2 team and attend camp in Colorado Springs at only 11 years old. I continued to try out and make the A2 team for the next 3 years, but I wasn't able to attend again for financial reasons, until the last year when I made the team as Libero. Both my times at high performance were incredible experiences. Not only did I get to play with 2 very competitive groups of athletes from across the nation, but I also had the opportunity to learn from a variety of gifted coaches and guest Olympic athletes. Both times I had to attend by myself because my parents weren't able to go with me. This pushed me to become more independent and to take more ownership of my progress in this sport. I've also had the opportunity to play in numerous regional tournaments and qualifiers around the country, and I've competed in Junior Nationals for 4 of the last 5 years.

Over the years, volleyball has been much more than just a sport for me. Its really grown my character and taught me the value of hard work and perseverance. My journey has pushed me to mature more quickly than most of my peers; to dig deep within when faced trials and challenges; to fight for my goals when dealing with roadblocks; and to manage my time and prioritize school while often training/practicing up to 6 hours a day. My personal goal for volleyball is to continue playing at the highest competitive level possible through college, and then after graduation to play in Europe for a while.

Over the years I've dealt with several injuries. My time in physical therapy developed a strong personal interest in learning how to protect and strengthen my body. I've experienced the benefit of working with great therapists and athletic trainers, and someday I would like to do the same for others. Being an athlete is a big part of who I am, and working in a field that would allow me to work with and help heal other athletes would be incredibly rewarding. That's why I've chosen to major in kinesiology as an undergraduate in college, and pursue graduate school to become either a physician's assistant or physical therapist.

Finally, I believe in giving back to my community. During off-season, I volunteer as much as I can through my home church. I serve on a regular basis in all ages of our weekend preschool program. I've also had the opportunity to serve the homeless in Santa Ana and to help at the local food bank.