...Our Story...
As a young athlete or daughter, you naturally look up to your mother, especially if your mother is a Hall of Fame, Division 1, Olympic Barcelona Hopeful volleyball player. So, for as long as I can remember, she was my “10.” SHE was the perfect score, the perfect person to mimic and aspire to become when I finally grew into my spandex and “kneepadders.” And ironically enough, that’s just the number she wore, as she represented herself, her team, her family and her country; #10.
As I began playing on small club teams, we made our way up to the National Level and I soon became a member of several very elite teams throughout my grade school and middle school years; naturally and proudly wearing Jersey #10, just as my mother had.
I trained, and I began to lift, I ate correctly, and I stayed away from drugs and alcohol; all the while looking at those faded USA Jerseys hanging on the wall with that 1-0 staring me down. Everyday, I’d pass those jerseys on my way to my bedroom; sweaty and tired, with blood stained hips and kneepads, sometimes even with tear streaked cheeks. But no matter what kind of day it was, when I walked by those jerseys, I held my head just a little bit higher as I passed.
Fast-forward several years, as I continued to train relentlessly, to be ranked as one of the best of the best. I didn’t always have record breaking nights on the court, but whenever I started to doubt myself or internalize negative thoughts, I would hear my mother from the crowd. She would yell “Get UP 10!!” every time I approached to hit the ball. She not only wanted me to quite literally “get UP,” as I jumped in the air for another attempted side out or kill, but she also wanted me to “get up” out of my personal pity party and start acting like a champion; start acting like a 10.
As I continued to grow and learn more about the wonderful sport of volleyball, I came to realize and understand how much of volleyball is truly a game of mistakes. It’s a game of trying to see how long you can go without making an error. So at some point, a mistake will be made. It doesn’t matter if it’s a big mistake or a small mistake… the other team will still get the point. Although understanding this aspect of the game is important, the key concept here is that everyone is going to make a mistake, but it’s whether you get back up and keep fighting is the difference between good players and great players. At an early age, I was taught and inherently knew, deep down in my gut, that even if the opponent was able to somehow “Knock me down 9 times… I would always Get Up 10.”
Throughout my high school volleyball career, I was blessed to find great success. I was able to win several State Championships, as well as go on to do what no single player has ever done in the state of Utah thus far; I swept every award or title there was to earn in the state of Utah, including but not limited to; Utah’s Ms. Volleyball, Utah’s MVP, Utah’s Offensive Player of the Year, Utah’s Gatorade Player of the Year, and finally, my most awarding accomplishment; earned a spot of the USA Women’s Junior National Team. After many long weeks of training, we were able to go on to defeat the Dominican Republic for the Gold Medal during the USA Championships. Later, we traveled to the NORCECA Championships in Managua, Nicaragua and returned to the United States with yet another medal.
So, for every match, every set, and every point I tried to emulate just what those words said. I wanted to “get up” or ‘elevate’ my game to the level my mother did. I wanted to “get up” every single game and be prepared to play mindfully and passionately for my team. But most importantly, I knew in my heart that even if I happened to get “knocked down 9 times… I would always ‘Get Up 10.’”
