Sasha Flores '21 Recruiting Profile

When I was little my favorite hobby was dancing, until one summer my dad signed me up for a volleyball class at Jockey Club in Lima, Perú. I immediately realized that I enjoyed volleyball more than dancing and I decided to focus on that instead. After a year of practicing, I decided to try out for the #1 team in the country at the time, Sporting Cristal, and I made the team. I started to play volleyball full time, with tournaments every weekend and sometimes having to attend two to three tournaments a day. I was eleven years old at the time. I had so much fun playing volleyball that I didn’t mind spending all my weekends competing. As I grew older, I changed teams to the new national champion at the time: Universidad San Martín de Porres. I kept competing and giving my all until one day my parents told me we were moving out of the country. I had worked so hard to be able to play at the highest level in my country and create a name for myself that I was a little scared to leave that all behind. 

When I moved to the US at the beginning of 2019 I wasn’t able to join a team because they were all too far into the season, but ST7 in Tavares was kind enough to allow me to attend practices with their 18U team so I could get back in shape for the 2020 season. I then tried out for East Ridge High School’s volleyball team and I made varsity. It was very exciting to practice with DI commits at my high school, and I was able to learn a lot both from them and from my coach, Mayra Cuebas. Finally, I tried out for Five Stars Volleyball Club, one of the most competitive clubs in my area, and I became the starter libero. As I look back on my journey, I realize that volleyball has helped shape my character. Thanks to volleyball I have learned to work as a part of a team, to uplift my teammates, and not to let other people bring me down. Volleyball has made me stronger both physically and mentally and I wouldn’t be the person I am today if I hadn’t had to endure some very harsh coaches in my country at a very young age. I am glad to be where I am at this point in my life and I am looking forward to the next step  in my volleyball career.