Alabama Volleyball Newcomer Q&A: Abolanle Onipede
8/9/2016 12:59:00 PM | Volleyball
Alabama Volleyball welcomes eight newcomers to the 2016 team and all eight will have Q&A features posted on rolltide.com over the next eight days heading into the season. The second featured newcomer is junior Abolanle (Bondie) Onipede from Houston, Texas, who previously played at Blinn Junior College.
How did you originally get interested in the sport of volleyball?
"I started playing when I was in fifth grade. I found a brochure for a little volleyball league and told my mom I wanted to play. I played basketball and ran track along with volleyball but I didn't start playing club volleyball until my junior year of high school. That's when I really started to want to play in college and was getting looked at more. I had to stop playing basketball my sophomore year because it would conflict with a travel volleyball schedule. My dad helped me a lot with the decision to pursue volleyball instead of basketball."
Was playing the sport in college something you were always interested in?
"At first I didn't have any interest in club volleyball and had no idea what the college recruiting process was like. My best friend's mom and a lot of coaches really pushed me to play club and get experience with the sport. My best friend's mom eventually ended up driving me to all my practices and tournaments. She was a big help and support system during my recruiting process. Once I started with it, I thought this was something I could continue in college."
How did playing club volleyball change your college selection process?
"I don't think I was looking at specific colleges to play volleyball at but then eventually I started being recruited. The idea of going to school and playing volleyball while getting a scholarship was a win-win situation."
How did you ultimately decide on attending Blinn Junior College?
"I was really nervous. I didn't like going on visits. One of my club teammates committed to Blinn and, after a tournament, their coach contacted me and wanted me to come and visit. It's in a small town but the coaches, players and atmosphere were really great. I didn't think I was experienced enough to go to a big school yet so I thought that a JUCO school would be a good opportunity to help me build myself to where I eventually wanted to go."
Do you believe attending Blinn helped in your eventual transition to Alabama?
"It helped me get used to college life and being away from my family. Blinn is only an hour away from home and now I'm nine hours away, but it did help me get used to the fact that I wouldn't be able to go home all of the time. On the court, I'm a lot more dominant than I was before I got to Blinn. My experience there really helped me."
After your two years at Blinn, how did Alabama come into the picture?
"The recruiting process was just as hard the second time around. I was still really nervous. One of the reasons I came to Alabama was that Coach Allen reminded me a lot of my coaches at Blinn. He cares a lot about his girls and his program and wants to make an impact. The team and family atmosphere here was great."
What has your experience been like so far at Alabama?
"It's what I expected and more. People go above and beyond to help you which is great. I love that. My teammates are always there for me with any questions that I have. Everyone is ready to give a helping hand which is really awesome. It's exactly like they said it would be."
What are some of your goals for the upcoming season?
"Our team goal is to win the SEC and go on to the NCAA Tournament. I just really want to help the team get to where they can be. Our first tournament is in Tulsa and I have three teammates from Blinn that play for Tulsa so that will be an exciting start. I just want to get better and help get Coach Allen an SEC title and the ring he deserves."
What advice would you give to young volleyball players who want to play volleyball in college?
"Follow your heart. I just prayed about it and listened to a lot of the little things that people told me along the way. Through both recruiting processes, the important thing I found was that you need to have a connection with your teammates. You need to take academics into consideration and make sure the school has your major and that you have the proper support to help you out. Don't go to a school just because it's a big name. If you go somewhere and you're not comfortable, you're not going to like it. Go where your heart wants you to go."
