Sophia Rokas '26 Recruiting Profile

For me, my highest priority is education. I desire that whatever college I attend be academically rigorous because that is the kind of environment and challenge I am looking for. I believe that academic rigor can groom you for life and equip each student with necessary skills such as time management, discipline, and distilling a fear of failure. Similarly, I believe sports can do the same. I am fortunate enough to be playing the position I love, setter, and being a setter has taught me a lot about confidence and control. In my eyes, playing volleyball is similar to putting on a show. You never want the other team to know what you are about to do next, weather that is to swing, roll, tip, or dump the ball. Likewise, you also never want them to know if you are in your own head. I am lucky enough to be as confident and resiliant as I am, but I know that volleyball has helped me develope those attributes. When the rallies are long or the set isn't going your way it can be easy to get down on yourself, but I've found that if you slightly curve your thinking it can change the whole game. When I mess up a pass instead of shifting to the natural thoughts my mind conjures up such as "why did I swing my arms?" or "Why wasn't staying lower?", I think "I am going to keep my platform still this time" or "I am going to stay low for the entire rally". Having this solutions oriented mindset has helped me not only become more resilient but also more confident. These skills have been incredibly useful in volleyball, academics, volunteering, and other extracurriculars I participate in. To summarize, volleyball has made me a more persistent, dedicated, passionate, and empathetic person. I push my self to new levels on the court, I don’t quit until the game is over, I find love and joy in what I do, and I care for my teammates on and off the court. I want to continue to be able to be everything volleyball has taught me to be, and I want to do that at the collegiate level.