Elena Goodall '24 Recruiting Profile

Growing up I’ve always thought I was invincible, in my sophomore year of high school that and many other aspects of me changed. That year I had made varsity as a starter; this was a very big accomplishment for me because in my earlier years of playing I was always on a lower team. Warming up for the first game of the season, the alumni game, I tore my lateral meniscus. I was in so much pain and was thinking of sitting out of the game but after we had lost the first six points of the game I chose to sub in. I played all three sets of the game with tape, two sleeves, and a strap, keeping my knee together.  After my surgery I started rehab, having to learn how to  walk on my leg again and seeing how much muscle I had lost made it hard for me to keep a positive mindset, my grades started slipping and it was probably the darkest time in my life. At the end of the day I persevered, got through rehab, got into the gym, and started strength training and conditioning. This experience has given me a new outlook on the game and life. I’m not invincible and I am not irreplaceable, my spot can always be filled but if I work hard to earn that spot and to keep improving it will make it harder to fill . The comeback story is always better than the story about the setback. 

Through volleyball, I have learned that I have the potential to be a  leader and I can help people do their best by cheering them on and bringing a positive attitude to the court. I have  learned the importance of teamwork and knowing how to communicate with people from many backgrounds.  One thing that makes me different from most other outside and middle hitters is, my dominant hand is my right hand, but I can also hit with my left hand which makes it harder for the blockers to read which direction to cover and it makes me harder to defend.  Academically I've always had a high GPA and mostly A’s and B's. It is my goal to continue getting grades like that throughout high school and carry my goal into college.