Paige Peterson '23 Recruiting Profile

I attended my first volleyball camp when I was ten years old, and it was love at first sight. I quickly knew that volleyball was going to be my passion. I was blessed with amazing coaches that taught me the skills and fundamentals of the game. As I got older and more experienced, I began playing travel volleyball for Illini Elite Volleyball Club and have grown in both skill and love for the sport. 

I have learned many things about myself throughout my years of playing competitive volleyball. When faced with a challenge, you can face it head on with all you have or you can walk away and give up on the goal. I've learned to push through the challenges and obstacles and strive to be the best player and teammate I can be. 

I have high expectations for myself in both volleyball and academics. Setting goals for myself is one way that I have stayed focused on my education. Those expectations give me the determination to reach my goals, whether it’s getting a high grade on a difficult test or making sure that daily assignments are completed to the highest of my abilities. 

As a player, I am very open to feedback and learning new techniques to enhance my play. I see myself as a very coachable player and someone who takes feedback and applies it in practice and games. As a freshman, I made the varsity volleyball team for my high school, Central Catholic. This was a great learning experience for me to be able to begin playing at a high speed and level of competition so early in my high school career. My sophomore year I was named varsity MVP and I established myself as a leader on the team. I know I will continue to improve at the sport I love in the years to come.