Landry Baughman 2023 RS/Middle/OH

When I think of volleyball, my eyes begin to tear up. I wish there was a way to thank this sport for everything it has done for me. As a little girl, I always knew I wanted to be some sort of athlete. I tried swimming, soccer, then landed in gymnastics for 6 years. I fell in love with the competition and the discipline, but I literally outgrew the sport. One day I was the tallest person in the gym, including the male coaches, and I decided the sport was no longer a fit for me. That summer I went to a volleyball camp and two weeks later, I tried out at Excel and made the top 12s team. After that season I was hooked. I love the sport of volleyball, but I also love the bridge it has created for me at my high school. My club team is one of the highest-ranked and most prestigious clubs in the region, but my high school is just the opposite. My club teammates and my high school teammates come from very different backgrounds, but having a shared love for volleyball makes it possible for me to form friendships and team bonds with both groups.

Above all, the discipline I gained from sports has carried through to my academic career. I have kept straight As through junior high school and my freshman year of high school. I started on varsity as a freshman and I’m now varsity captain in my sophomore year, and I still maintain excellent grades in my AP, Gifted and Talented, and college credit classes.

My love of academics and volleyball continues to grow, so I’m looking for a college that can feed both.