Alaina Smith '19 Recruiting Profile

I have been exploring the paths I may want to take after high school, and one thing is certain: I want to continue playing competitive volleyball. I love the sport as well as being part of a team. I know that is something that most athletes will feel the same way about and that knowing more about me is going to be important in finding a great fit in a college volleyball program.

Commitment. This is one of the best qualities I bring to the court. I come to every practice, game, training, lesson, team bonding. Optional or mandatory, I’m there. I’m there because I want to be. I will make the most of every opportunity to improve and refine my skills as well as strengthen my connection with my team.

I want to hear what you have to say. I have learned that every coach has a different style of teaching and coaching and that it is to my benefit to listen and make the most of the expertise that is being shared, even if it is different than what I may be used to.

I set myself apart with consistency in how I present myself on and off the court. I always try to be respectful, open minded, and whole hearted with everyone I meet (my teammates, classmates, teachers, coaches, and opponents). I genuinely care about doing my best. I figure out what I need to do to improve myself and elevate my team, and I do it.  Whether that may be working on my approach in my free time, or getting my teammates pumped up during a game when morale is dropping.

I stay clear headed, which is a skill that is much needed in volleyball. This is something that took me awhile to master, but I count it as one of my strengths now. I know that at some point I will make a mistake, everyone will. That is just a part of playing the game. It is the ability to shake it off and to stay in the game, playing smart and aggressive from beginning to end that not everyone can manage. This is a characteristic you will find in me.

I have come to learn that volleyball is about the attitude and the team’s drive as much as it is about the level of skill. There are teams filled with girls who are all individually talented, but they may not win a single match because they play as individuals and not as a team. A strong team needs to have players that will push each other, challenge each other, cheer for one another, and bring cohesion to the group, and I am one of those players.

I’m devoted. Many times that means I have to take the long way around. I, more than most of my classmates and teammates, have had to take some detours. In second grade I was diagnosed with dyslexia, meaning I have a difficult time reading, writing, and interpreting words. For most of elementary school I went to a tutor every week and got extra help before and after school. When I was headed to middle school, I wanted to be in the honors classes with my friends. It was tough keeping up at first, but I worked extremely hard. I asked for help, I did extra exercises to master the material  and I found out the ways that I learned best. I accepted that some things were never going to be naturally easy for me.  I am ok with that and I have been able to succeed anyway.

Volleyball required the same type of devotion because this also did not come naturally to me. I have always been the only left handed player on my teams, which caused a lot of struggle for me early on. None of my first few coaches could show me properly how to do my approach or serve. I would watch them do it “right sided” and, having dyslexia, I struggled to translate the movements. I made the same resolution with volleyball as I did with academics. I accepted that I may need to work and learn differently, and I found that I could still become an outstanding player. I worked hard, I got private lessons, I found left-handed players to teach me and strived to get better. I still do

I am thankful for the opportunity to share a little about who I am. I welcome any opportunity to talk further and to demonstrate my strong character both in and out of the game.