Eniyah Rodriguez '22 Recruiting Profile

Hello! My name is Eniyah Adasija Rodriguez. I became interested in volleyball when I was about 7 years old. I had just finished my softball season and I knew that it just wasn't the right sport for me. My parents and I decided to have a talk about what sport I should play and my mom brought up volleyball. At the time, I didn't know anything about it, but as time went on and my dad signed me up for camps, I knew that this was the sport for me. I have learned so much from playing this sport. I learned that it is possible to love something so much that it hurts if you were to lose it. Volleyball isn't just a sport for me; it's my life and it's something that I never want to lose.  A big part of volleyball is the support I get from my parents. They help me to never stop working for what you desire. Aside from my volleyball, my academics are also a huge part of my life. I always like to strive for high grades and good behavior. I have always been in honors and gifted classes, and my grades are always honor roll and above. As of right now, I have all A's and honors classes. I also hope to keep up the good work in college. Challenging myself is what keeps me going because if everything was easy, I wouldn't be able to say that I worked hard. I feel like having things given to you doesn't make you stronger because you didn't work for it. 

A big part of my life that has influenced who I am is my family and friends. I always have my family's support in everything I do and they help me overcome my problems.  Most importantly, my dad influences who I am. He grew up without knowing his dad which makes him more invested into making sure I succeed in life. He is a big supporter of my volleyball career and my academics. Having him be so supportive makes me push myself harder because I know that there will always be someone there to push with me. Throughout my volleyball life, I have to overcome the obstacle of my height. When people think of volleyball, they automatically make the assumption that you have to be very tall. There have been times where I tell people I play volleyball and they assume that I must not be good because I'm short. Being shorter then other volleyball players just makes me want to push myself even more. It makes me fight and work harder than the tallest person on the court. In addition, being the captain of my travel team has taught me to be a leader and team player. I learned that it takes six committed players to win a volleyball game. I hope to find a college that expands my academics and pushes me to never stop striving. I also hope to find a team that is filled with dedicated strong players like me. I believe that I have what it takes to be on a competitive, hard-working, dedicated team, and I will not stop trying until I get there. I live by one motto," Your team becomes your family, the ball becomes your best friend, the court becomes your home, and the game becomes your life."