For Carlmont freshman Camila Wang, being a good volleyball player means much more than just talent.
This year, Wang played for Carlmont’s JV Girls Volleyball team as an outside hitter and setter. An outside hitter is the position that receives a set and is mainly responsible for scoring points, while a setter sets up the ball for the hitter. Wang started playing volleyball recreationally in elementary school, playing both with her family and at Legarza’s sports summer camps. She started playing competitively in sixth grade with Academy Volleyball Club, and is currently going into her fourth season with them.
“My parents and sister played volleyball way before me, so I always just would tag along, and eventually I fell in love with it after so many years of watching them play,” Wang said.
For her first season playing for Carlmont, Wang quickly emerged as a star player.
“Camila is remarkably talented for her young age. She impressed me at tryouts with her attacking proficiency, which was far above any other outside hitters we were looking at,” said the JV girls volleyball head coach, Mark Patenaude.
“She knows how to help the team get out if we’re stuck in serve receive, or if we’re down and need to get back up,” said Selena Chui, a sophomore and member of the JV team.
However, Wang’s positive attitude and role as a teammate are what truly set her apart from the others.
“The most impressive aspect of Camila’s performance was in the way she interacted with her teammates as a team member. She makes friends easily and has an infectious personality. Everyone loves to be around her. She also possesses a natural-born ability to lead,” Patenaude said.
Wang was one of the few freshmen on the JV team this year, playing alongside many sophomores and juniors, which can be intimidating. However, she took this as an opportunity to show everyone what she is capable of.
“It was honestly really exciting being on a team with sophomores and juniors because I pushed myself to be my best in order to match their level,” Wang said.
For many student-athletes, finding the perfect balance between school and sports life can be challenging.
“I had volleyball five times a week for school and four times for club now. I usually just try my best to finish my work earlier than it is due so that I feel less stressed. I also like to use my time in class to do my work so that after school I can focus on practicing,” Wang said.
Wang hopes to continue to pursue volleyball after high school as well.
“My next steps after high school are to potentially play at the collegiate level. I would want to play Division 1 but at a school where I can continue with a high level of academics,” Wang said.
Although handling academics and sports can be challenging, student-athletes are taught life lessons that are not typically found in a classroom.
According to Patenaude, being on a volleyball team builds skills such as stress management, collaboration, overcoming failure, and sportsmanship.
“While they learned a lot about competitive volleyball, I believe the most important lessons were those related to the experience, making friends, and learning key life lessons they will take with them forever,” Patenaude said.
