Background
I grew up in Kingwood, TX with two younger brothers and two volleyball-loving parents. I began playing around 10, and soon found my place on the court as a setter. I spent most of my club career commuting to play in the Woodlands and traveling to tournaments around the country. My club career highlights include top 3 finishes in the Tour-of-Texas and Lone Star Qualifier and a top 8 finish at the Disney Invitational Showcase at ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando. Most notably, our 16s team won the SCVA Qualifier in Las Vegas punching our ticket to Nationals as one of only 36 teams to earn an elite Open-level bid, and entering the GJNC tournament as a top 5 overall seed. I made the difficult decision to retire early from club volleyball to focus on my other high school passion, Speech and Debate, but continued to play on the varsity team at Kingwood High School.
I graduated from KHS in 2015 and went on to attend the University of Texas at Austin (hook 'em horns)! While there, I became a devout and competitive intramural volleyball player. After completing my degrees in Neuroscience and Spanish, I moved to Galveston in 2020 to pursue my dreams of becoming a doctor at UTMB. While completing the last few semesters of my MD, I thought returning to volleyball was a no-brainer, and I am beyond excited to be part of the AVA family!
Coaching Philosophy
I believe the lessons learned on the volleyball court become valuable life skills. I encourage players to give it their all and work hard, and be good teammates and leaders. I am passionate about keeping the sport fun first and foremost, as well as focusing on a positive mindset and overcoming the mental challenges of the game.
Practice Philosophy
Fundamentals! I strongly believe that focusing on the basics is what sets the most elite players apart from the rest. That often means footwork and repetition, repetition, repetition - approach footwork, serve toss, setting against a wall, etc.
Coaching Strengths
Setting, serving, passing, defense, volleyball IQ/strong mental game/strategy
Final Notes
As a coach and a future pediatrician, my goal is to build a relationship with each player individually. Not only to improve her game, but to boost her confidence and celebrate her accomplishments. I hope to serve as a role model on and off the court and do my best to guide them as they grow into the great players and great people they will become!