Samantha Andriola '22 Recruiting Profile

Hi, my name is Samantha Andriola and I am a senior at Sacred Heart Academy on Long Island, New York. I've been playing travel volleyball for the past five years, the last two of which I've been playing on one of my club's intense (i.e. premier) travel teams.  I want to compete at the collegiate level because I simply love the game of volleyball and having my hands on the ball, running a good offense.  I enjoy nothing more than practicing, learning and, above all, competing on the court.  My primary position is setter, however I've been known to be an extremely versatile player.  As a high school freshman I won an MVP-type award for being able to  play whatever position was needed (and I was the only freshman to receive any award that night.). Being versatile has improved my knowledge on the court and it also helps me to know who my hitters are, where the ball should be set and what type of offense I can run.   I believe that I am very consistent on the court. I work closely with my hitters during practice (and on game days) to see what type of sets works best for them. When in game play, I know that working with my teammates is crucial. When we need to sideout, I know that I can rely on my go-to hitters on offense to put the ball away. I've also always been told that I'm an exceptional defender as a setter. In recent years, I have helped other teammates on the court to expand the team's defense. When I was on 16 Blue, I played outside all the way around.  Playing DS  helped me with my defense in many ways.  It helped me to read other players' shoulders and elbows in order to pass drilled hits.  My exceptional defense has helped me give an efficient pass to the setter. I feel that being a setter before playing DS has helped me to succeed in passing because I know what kind of pass a setter wants. As a setter this year, my defense has helped me to read tips, cross-court hits, line hits and dumps.   On my travel team, we recently entered the Boston Volleyball Tournament, where I played every point of every game.  My team advanced into the gold bracket, and came in 3rd place.  I am hardworking, dedicated and passionate on and off the court. I am a leader on the court, always encouraging my teammates, especially when they are down.  I strongly believe that having a positive attitude on the court is essential to developing team respect and cohesiveness.  School is also very important to me. I maintain a high GPA in school and am very focused on my schoolwork. Being active in sports, both inside and outside of my high school, has helped me with time management, finding my balance between sports and academics.  I hope to use these skills at the college level and enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime volleyball experience!