Alabama Volleyball Newcomer Q&A: Samantha Worley
8/17/2017 2:58:00 PM | Volleyball
Alabama Volleyball welcomes eight newcomers to the 2017 team and all eight will have Q&A features posted on RollTide.com heading into the season. The fourth featured newcomer is freshman Samantha Worley from Honolulu, Hawai'i.
How did you get your start playing volleyball?
"I played a lot of sports when I was younger. I was playing soccer and, because I was a goalie, my coach wanted me to do some more hand-eye coordination work, so I went to a volleyball clinic and ended up liking volleyball more than soccer."
When did you realize you may be able to take volleyball to the next level and play in college?
"I tried out for USA Volleyball camps and ended up making one of the higher camps and eventually the junior national team. I started to get really serious about it and focusing on what to eat, how to train and things like that."
Being from Hawai'I, how did you tackle the logistical problems of visiting schools on the mainland?
"For club we would travel twice a year to the mainland, so I would email a bunch of coaches to watch me play. After that I would get responses but I had to be picky about who I followed up with since I had to make the most of my time. The only camp I went to at first was a Gonzaga camp, but I have family in Alabama so I figured I might as well stop by and go to an Alabama camp when I was on my way to USA's. I ended up really liking it even though I was only here for three days. After I came back home I talked to my parents about going to Alabama."
Was there any particular place in the country you were looking at going to school?
"All the way throughout high school I was convinced I would go to a west-coast school. I thought the east-coast schools were too far away. Never did I think I would go to Alabama. In Hawai'I we have a big family and that's just one side of our family but the ones I have in Alabama were so welcoming and I knew I had to see them."
What were your first impressions of campus?
"I thought it was huge! I knew I'd have to walk everywhere and I'd probably get lost because a lot of the buildings look the same with red brick and the pillars. I was so intimidated. I got to meet the coaches and they were so nice. The staff is a good mix of styles and I thought 'this was where I need to be'."
How long after your visit was it until you made the decision to come to Alabama?
"After the camp I was in the car with my Dad driving to Atlanta and I told him this was the place I wanted to go. I was really excited because I had always wanted to play at a Division I school. It's a huge opportunity and I was really serious about getting ready for it. During the summer when everyone else was going to the beach I was working out because I wanted to be ready when I came here."
What has the transition to life in Alabama been like so far?
"It's actually pretty similar to home in a lot of ways. Everyone is polite and they have that 'southern charm' thing going on. Everyone here is so nice and I love that. We get taken care of very well here. Smoothies after practice are awesome too!"
Looking ahead to the fall, what are some of your individual and team goals?
"I want to compete at the top of the league. Everyone needs to be on the same page. We have a lot of new people coming in at multiple positions so I think that'll push a lot of the others as well so everyone will get better. I just want to do the best I can and walk away from each day confident I did all I could do."
What advice would you give to a high school player who wants to play in college?
"If you want to play at the Division I level, figure out if you're willing to put yourself through everything that's involved with playing at that level. The extra training and all of that. Really make sure that your academics are there too. You could be the best volleyball player ever and get an academic scholarship but if you can't handle the academics, you'll be stressed out and that'll affect your ability to focus on volleyball. I went to a really hard high school and it was tough at the time but I feel a lot more prepared now because of that. Don't be afraid to ask for help and really do the research about schools. Don't pick your school just because it's a good sports school."
