Personal Statement
My name is Sophie and I am from Nelson, New Zealand. For the past year I have been living in Champaign IL and playing volleyball at Parkland College (NJCAA II). We have just won the National Championship and I was named an All-American. It has been a great experience to be part of such a successful, high level team. I am looking to transfer to a 4-year college for Fall 2022.
Sport has always been a big part of my life and I really enjoy the challenge of improving my own performance and competing against others. I love volleyball because of the strong team dynamic that is unlike anything else. Everyone has an important role and the team performs best when all the parts fit together. I’m most proud of leading my school team to 7th place at the 2019 New Zealand high school Nationals tournament, where I was named in the tournament team as 1 of 2 high school setters in the country. I was especially proud of these achievements as injuries prevented me and my team from reaching our full potential at the previous year’s championships.
Volleyball has given me lots of opportunities to travel, with trips around New Zealand, several trips to Australia and to a tournament in Hawaii. My beach partner and I won the 2019 NZ high school Nationals beach volleyball tournament. Following this I traveled to LA with the NZ Beach Volleyball development squad. Having these chances to see and explore different places has been one of my highlights of sport, so far. Getting to meet new people and learn from great coaches and players has also been amazing. Over the last few years, I have enjoyed watching US college volleyball games on YouTube. It has taught me a lot about the game and what it looks like at that level. I’d love to be involved and have the opportunity to play college volleyball. I’m looking for a college with a strong academic and athletic focus. I received my school principal’s academic excellence award last year and I’m excited about being able to get a good college education while also expanding my passion for volleyball. I have a dedicated and open mindset and I believe I can contribute a lot to a team, including my New Zealand culture.
