Ariel Marquez '18 Recruiting Profile

I am blessed to have always had strong influences in my life.  While most of these influences were inspirational and positive, I have experienced negativity.  I chose to use the negative to make me stronger and prove I can overcome any obstacle I may face.  When I was young, I was very shy, hesitant to try new things and standing up for what I believed in was very hard.  As I got older, I realized that I had a great support system and that if I really wanted to try or accomplish something I shouldn't be scared or wait around for it.  So I decided to take action - in MYSELF.  I started not only saying but doing and I learned many valuable lessons along the way. 

I remember, I was 4 years old, watching my mom play volleyball on a city league.  I enjoyed watching every second of it - she would toss the balls to me and play with me while she waited for her games to start.  As soon as I touched the ball I fell in love with the game, my drive and passion for the game of volleyball has never died.  I was in first grade when my mom signed me up for Kids Inc. Volleyball.  The game was fun, but by the time I was in fourth grade I told my mom I wanted to get very serious about volleyball.  So that year my mom signed me up for Kids Inc. again, but also took me to a tryout for a club team that played mostly local tournaments.  I loved the feeling of playing volleyball for hours at a time, and the increasing competition of playing on a club team only made me want it more.  

One of the most important things I have learned about playing volleyball is that everyone on the team is important. It truly is a team sport.  Every play, every point, every cheer is all based upon teamwork and trust in your teammates.  I believe if you are a real team player you are selfless and encouraging to all your teammates.  You realize that you couldn't have gotten that awesome kill without the perfect set or the perfect set without the on-target pass or even the best dig without the block doing it's job.  The most important thing I learned about myself from playing over the years is being selfless and supportive, knowing what my role or job is on the team - and doing it to the best of my ability all the time. 

My high school academic goals include:  to graduate as a Superintendent Scholar for all semesters, stay in the top quartile of my class and to stay on the A Honor Roll.  My goals for college are to maintain straight A's and graduate with a degree in business.  I hope to someday have my own company and give back to my community.

I have had obstacles that I had to overcome while pursuing my volleyball career.   The first one was in 5th grade - I was trying out for a club team, and suddenly I became very nervous and didn't perform as good as I know I was capable of.  I ended up making a team, but it wasn't the one I had hoped for.  However, that year I had a great coach who believed in me and encouraged me - all the time.  Coach Jenny was the key to helping me rebuild my confidence.  There were years of frustration and disappointment.  But there were also years of excitement and feelings of accomplishment.  The most important thing I remember my parents always telling me - Don't give up - we believe in you and YOU have to believe in you.  My sophomore year we went to State and got runner-up.  We came back this past year (junior year) determined to prove ourselves.  We beat the team that had beat us the previous year to take the State 4A Volleyball Championship in Texas.  Our team's hard work all season and positive attitudes had been rewarded.  All of us working together and having a tight bond on and off the court led us to be State Champions.  When we won, I finally felt that all those years of practicing, playing, crying, laughing and cheering had finally paid off.  This has been the most rewarding and greatest accomplishment of my volleyball career.  I am working hard to keep my dream of playing collegiate volleyball alive.  I am so excited to see what the future holds.

The following are some unique characteristics and skills I possess:

Faithful believer in Christ

Versatile player

Dedicated and committed to my studies 

Family oriented 

Kind and hard working

Love meeting new people