“Volleyball is more than just a sport to me, it’s an outlet”, said junior Karis Carter.

She has been playing volleyball since her freshman year, but she wishes she would have started before high school. At a game Carter maintains concentration and stays on her feet, ready to block the opponents’ next attempt to get it back over the net. “I try and block out the crowd, I just stay focused on the team and the game.”

Her spark of interest came from her older sister who also played volleyball throughout high school. “My sister was a pretty good volleyball player and she convinced me to try it out.” After being persuaded to try out for the team, it didn’t take Carter long to realize that she had fallen in love with the sport. “Honestly, I wish I would have started playing a long time ago.”

Other than the techniques of the sport, Carter has also learned a lot about life. “It’s important to not get upset and lose focus in the game, or just in general actually.” Carter has the same attitude during school as she does during the game, that being that she is focused and only gives her best effort.  She manages to juggle her school work and the sport quite well. “Sometimes when I have too much homework I get stressed, but at the end of the day I know it’s all worth it.”

Carter looks forward to the rest of this season, and her goals include getting better at spiking and being a better team leader.