South Sound Volleyball Club

Sophia Spoja

U16 Black

ATHLETE PHILOSOPHY: Volleyball is a very complex sport, one of the only sports that you are fighting against gravity. I love it with all my heart and I cannot see myself playing a sport as long as I have been playing volleyball. I love it when a team works together to achieve one major goal along with little ones. I love it when the best player is having the worst game but they are still positive. I love it when its 23-13 in favor of the other team but your team still comes back and wins the next two games. However I cannot fathom how important it is to have a positive attitude even when I am  in the tank. I can be PAC12 bound with full rides at your feet, and have the worst three games of my life because of my attitude. Volleyball is a very mental game and I need to have the very best mindset. I can to do what I have to do in a critical moment and put the ball away. As a teammate I need to be trustworthy. I need to be able to carry my team when the one player that you rely on. I need to know what each and every player on my team needs in order to succeed, whether it be a ‘Hey you got this’ or ‘Stay out of your head, you are doing awesome’. It’s the little things that mean the most to some players. Values also play a big role in my life as a volleyball player. I value a good team, not necessarily in skill, but in chemistry. A team is a group of people who works towards a common goal, and you will not get anywhere if you are not on the same page. As a player, I should always make sure everyone is comfortable on the team and gets along. We will not have chemistry on the court if someone does not feel like they belong and it will really throw everything and one off volleyball. This is what I believe as a player.

AWARDS/ACCOLADES:

PLAYER OF THE GAME TWICE AGAINST FIFE, AND ONCE AGAINST GRANITE FALLS

SPSL HONORABLE MENTION AS A FRESHMAN

STARTING FRESHMAN ON VARSITY

VARSITY LETTER AS A FRESHMAN

FAVORITE QUOTE:  I LOVE WHEN YOU FIRST STEP OUT ON THE COURT AND FEEL A BALL IN YOUR HANDS. IT JUST FEELS LIKE YOURE AT HOME AND THAT’S WHERE YOURE SUPPOSED TO BE. I LOVE THE SOUND YOU DON’T HEAR WHEN THE SETTER MAKES A PERFECT SET. WHEN YOU JUMP UP AND YOURE ABOUT TO HIT THE BALL AND YOU KNOW YOURE JUST GOING TO KILL IT. IT’S THE BEST FEELING. IT’S THE ONE PLACE ON THE COURT I KNOW I CAN ALWAYS BE MYSLEF AND LEAVE EVERYTHING ELSE BEHIND AND GO PLAY THE SPORT THAT I LOVE

• JORDAN BURGESS STANFORD WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL PLAYER ALL AMERICAN

   

  WHY I LOVE SSVBC: 

  I LOVE SSVBC BECAUSE IT GIVES THE PLAYERS THE OPPORTUNITY THEY NEED TO PLAY AT THE NEXT LEVEL. THEY PROVIDE THE BEST OF THE BEST COACHES TO HELP YOU GET THERE, AND THEY SURROND YOU WITH A POSITVE ENVIROMENT SO YOU CAN REACH YOUR HIGHEST POTENTIAL AS A STUDENT ATHLETE.

  BEST MOMENT IN VOLLEYBALL:

  MY BEST MOMENT IN VOLLEYBALL SO FAR IS WHEN I HAD 22 KILLS, PASSED A 2.6, AND HIT A .333% AGAINST OUR SCHOOL RIVALS FIFE. IT WAS A REALLY GOOD MOMENT WHEN OUR TEAM JUST FLIPPED THE SWITCH AND DEMOLISHED THINGS. WE HAD FINALLY PLAYED LIKE A TEAM AND PUT EVERYTHING TOGETHER. IT WAS A AMAZING MOMENT WHEN I FEEL THE SWEAT DRIPPING DOWN YOUR FACE AND FALLING TO MY JERSEY AS I WENT FOR THE GAME WINNING KILL DOWN THE LINE, LANDING ON THE 12 FT LINE BECAUSE THERE WAS NO BLOCK. NOTHING COMPARES TO THAT FEELING OF KNOWING WHEN YOU ARE GOING UP TO HIT AND YOU KNOW IT’S GOING TO BE A PERFECT KILL. IT WAS EXHILLERATING.