Calyne Schmidt '21 Recruiting Profile

My love of volleyball started in 7th grade, when I got to start playing in school. Before that, I had tried gymnastics, cheer, and even roller derby, but none of that seemed to soothe my soul like volleyball. The first two years (7th & 8th grade) I played for school and club as a setter. I was good enough at it, but wanted to see if there were any other positions where I could be useful to my team. My freshman year, I was a setter for school, but was given the opportunity to play as a right side hitter for club. I now knew that there was a small fire in my heart for getting to hit a ball! That was short lived (3 months) as our setter ended up getting hurt and I filled in the rest of the season in her spot. In the 2018 school year, I was asked if I would be willing to play as a middle blocker for my team, as they needed someone to fill the spot and thought that I would do well.  I ended up finishing 4th in school's history for most blocks in a season. For the 2018 club ball season, I played with the Oly Reign 16 Gold team as a right side and setter.  We did well this year finishing 2nd in the Puget Sound Region for Power League and learned to play seamlessly as a team. This season for the 2019 school year, I was a Captain on my Varsity team, playing as a setter and right side hitter.  I feel like I am a very agile player and while I love to hit the ball, I will play in any position that my team needs in order to win.

I am a firm believer that there will never be a volleyball player so good that they have nothing left to learn from someone else. I know what it is like to put in the work to keep sharp in my playing positions and am prepared to do the same with any team that gives me the opportunity to do so. My work ethic is strong and it shows not only in how I interact as a member of my volleyball team, but also in my academics. I am organized, passionate, and feel confident in what direction I would like my future to go. I have chosen to get a degree in accounting because it meshes with my character, and works best with what I'm good at and how my mind works.