Lindsey Hardesty '21 Recruiting Profile

I fell in love with volleyball during 8th grade. I had played many different sports (including competitive cheerleading and travel softball), but I had never felt the kind of joy and excitement as when I was playing volleyball. Volleyball gave me an opportunity to honor God fully, while doing what I loved at the same time. I attend a K-12 school. As an 8th grader, our varsity coach offered me a spot as our team's libero. Being an 8th grader, it took some time to adjust to the speed of play at the varsity level. My teammates pushed me and worked me harder than I ever thought possible. We won our conference that year, and made it to the final four of states. I was selected as a first team all conference player and second team all state. We repeated our conference and state success my freshman year and I once again received conference and state honors while playing OH due to injuries that had happened on our team.

Earlier this year, I had an incredible experience serving others. My sister Lauren and I competed in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) Students of the Year campaign. LLS is an amazing organization that strives to find cures for blood cancers as well as provides critical resources for blood cancer patients and their families. As a candidate team, Lauren and I worked together during a 7 week period from January to March to raise the most money for LLS. We competed against 31 student teams in the Metro D.C. area to see who could raise the most money for LLS. We placed 3rd in the competition (7th in the nation), raising over $217,000! 

Some of the things that I enjoy outside of volleyball include playing basketball (I have played as a shooting guard on our varsity basketball team since 8th grade) surfing, writing stories, singing, and spending time with my friends. I also enjoy hiking and tubing at the lake. I am also a part of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) at my school. In this club, we dive into different scriptures and discuss what implications they could have on our lives as athletes on and off the court. As for college majors, I am still deciding, but a few I am currently interested in are broadcast journalism and criminal justice/forensic science. 

I want to become the best volleyball player I can be. I want to find a school and a coach who will strive to make me a better player, a better teammate, and ultimately a better person. I would likewise strive to be the best player on my team, not necessarily skill wise, but by encouraging and uplifting my teammates. I would also be coachable and helpful to my coaches. I would always have a great attitude on the court. Even when things don't seem to be going right for my team, I would still encourage everyone and push us to be the best we can be. I would hold us accountable for our character and the effort we bring to every practice and match. I would set an example of good sportsmanship and Christ-like character on and off the court. I will always have fun and do my best in everything I try.