Stacy Kalinkina '24 Recruiting Profile

Hello, my name is Stacy Kalinkina. I am a 2024 graduate and play for Leon M. Goldstein High School and Brooklyn Elite Volleyball in Brooklyn. I am interested in finding a school that has a good learning experience and enjoyment in the game of volleyball, and high academic knowledge in the classroom. My major is undecided yet, however, I’ve been looking into Business, Finance, Dentistry, Nursing, or Psychology. 

Getting the opportunity to play volleyball in college would be a huge accomplishment as this is a very rare opportunity to get selected to indulge yourself in a sport, especially in college. My goal is to excel in my volleyball skills, to be able to represent a college with pride knowing that my presence is valued, to build sportsmanship, and to be hungry for victory.

I have played club volleyball ever since 5th grade and as the years went by my passion for this sport has only grown stronger. I always push myself to be the best of the best and try my hardest to perform at my best level. People can depend on me and this is important for a team sport. I make an effort to build trust amongst my teammates and include everyone in the game. I am very determined and when I set my mind to achieve a goal, I do not stop until I achieve it. Not only does it make my parents proud, who play a huge role in my life, but it also brings me a sense of victory and pleasure that I am capable of developing a skill set to meet my high standards.  

Apart from volleyball I also do karate. This sport makes me stand out from others as karate requires much physical strength both physically and mentally. Karate is about patience, focus, discipline, coordination, and memorization. When I started my volleyball journey, all of these skills came hand in hand with each other and allowed me to build my base more quickly. I am capable of projecting my positive emotions. I am the person to step inside a room and be able to cause joy and set a cheerful mood. I live by the memo of “treat others the way you want to be treated”, and it plays a big role in my life. I treat people with respect, and care, and am always there for someone when they need me. I don’t do this in hopes that someone will give me the same respect back, but I do this because that is who I am and I enjoy seeing others happy. Volleyball is about trust, motivation, teamwork, and most importantly having fun.