1st Place Volleyball April 2010 : Page 6
player spotlight so much fun. It helped a lot in terms of meeting other players. I got to play with Kristin Carpen- ter, who is now my current teammate at Penn State. I had played with her a few times before, but it was really nice to get to play with her again and get more acquainted with each other be- cause we are going to be spending the next four years playing together. It always helps to get to play with future teammates so you can see their styles and get used to their personalities both on and off the court. It was also great to meet players who were recruited to other programs. I played with Lauren Cook, who ended up go- ing to UCLA. Getting to know her and Gina Mancuso, a Nebraska recruit, and some of the other girls I played with was benefi cial because school. I got A’s and B’s and didn’t have a prob- lem with grades. School always came easy to me and it always came kind of second to my volleyball. When I got to college, I was there to play volleyball, so I wasn’t really focused on my school work. In college, your professors don’t care if you turn in your assignments. If you don’t get your work turned in, they will just mark you as having a zero and that’s that. In high school, teacher will help you along more. It’s a whole lot easier to fall behind and miss assignments in college, because the professors aren’t going to walk you along like your high school teach- ers did. Also, playing volleyball during your fi rst semester of college is really diffi cult. I would def- initely advise high school athletes who will be “Something that I would tell younger players is to learn as much as you can. Follow the upperclassmen, especially the ones that play in the same position as you, and just watch what they do in every single aspect of the game.Watch how they handle different situations.Watch their footwork.Watch their speed. Try to emulate them.” hopefully those are girls that you are going to play against in the future. It’s good to learn their strengths and weaknesses for the future, should we ever be playing against each other. That ex- perience was really good because you do make those friends. It’s good to bring in the elite high school athletes because you all have something in common; you are all there for a reason and it’s nice to be around people who are like you and understand what you are going through. P: Can you talk a little about your tran- sition from high school level academics to your first year as a college student? How were you able to adjust to the new setting, tougher academic standards, etc.? DD: Academics are something that I defi nitely underestimated. My freshman year, it was a lot harder than I expected balancing volleyball with academics. I was a pretty good student in high 6 Phenom | April 2010 playing volleyball in college to be sure they stay on top of their academics. I did have a little bit of diffi culty. I ended up with good grades, but it was it was much more diffi cult than I expected. P: Is there anything you know now, that you wish you knew when you were a high school athlete in regards to the recruiting process or the transition between the two levels? DD: When it comes to the recruiting process, I wish I would have had a little more fun with it. I was stressed out to no end being recruited by schools because I was so confused and caught up in the situation that I didn’t know what to do. I wish that I had taken a step back and really enjoyed it. I am, however, 100% happy with the decision I made. I don’t regret it for a second. I love everything about Penn State, and I’m not just saying that to make it look good on paper. It really was a great decision for me. To come in my fi rst year and play and win a national cham- pionship, it’s something that I’ll cherish forever. Experiencing those things with the people I was fortunate to play with, like Megan and Alisha, I don’t regret it for a minute, but at the same time I wish that I had taken more time and enjoyed it. P: Describe your experience as a freshman student-athlete. Was it what you expected? Where there things you weren’t prepared for? DD: The transition itself was kind of what I ex- pected, because I came in expecting the worst. I came in mentally prepared, which made things a little bit easier. The physical portion, for me, was a lot more diffi cult. Getting used to bigger players was much more diffi cult for me person- ally. Going from getting up and being able to just bounce balls against people was something that I wasn’t able to do right away. The hardest transition for me was not being the “top dog” anymore. It’s really humbling when you played with the people that I played with. My head was spinning for a little bit, but at the same time it’s a different challenge and you just have to ap- proach it as such. Something that I would tell younger players is to learn as much as you can. Follow the upper- classmen, especially the ones that play in the same position as you, and just watch what they do in every single aspect of the game. Watch how they handle different situations. Watch their footwork. Watch their speed. Try to emulate them. I had a great example my freshman year in following Megan. I just tried to soak up as much as a could, not only about her physical game, but about her mental game. P: What is your favorite part about being a volleyball student-athlete? DD: There are so many great things that come with being a student-athlete at the collegiate lev- el. It’s really cool to walk down the street, espe- cially at a place like Penn State where they really do appreciate volleyball players, and have some- one approach you and say, “Hey, are you Darcy Dorton?” It’s so cool to have people recognize you and really appreciate the things you are doing. With that, also comes a different type of pressure, because people are constantly watch- ing you. You have to make your decisions based on how they would refl ect upon your team. You have to realize that you represent more than yourself now, and you are responsible for being a spokesperson for your university and want to represent them well. ✤
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