Volleyball Newcomer Q&A: Emily Janek
8/28/2019 3:11:00 PM | Volleyball
We will be posting Q&As with each of the eight newcomers on this year's Alabama volleyball team as they head into the 2019 season. Our seventh Q&A is with Emily Janek from Allen, Texas
How did you get your start playing volleyball?
"I started playing basketball and soccer when I was in kindergarten. In second grade my friend's mom across the street was forming a volleyball team and she asked me to play. After that I just fell in love with the game."
When did playing collegiately become a goal for you?
"In sixth grade, we had a family connection to a club volleyball coach. He said I should come play and ever since then, club volleyball was all I wanted to do. When I got to eighth grade, I started getting letters from schools so my club coach helped me reach out to others and I realized I could play in college."
Where were you looking at initially for college?
"When I started, I was interested in anyone who wanted to contact me. Once I started getting into it, I wanted to stay in the south and be kind of close to home."
What were your first impressions of Alabama when you visited?
"I visited Alabama the spring of my sophomore year. I loved the atmosphere. The people were great and athletics is crazy here. After that I just fell in love with campus. I committed the following summer but I knew when I first got here that this was the place."
What was your first conversation with Coach Devine like?
"After I talked to her, she was so welcoming and made me want to come here even more. I was really excited about it."
How has the transition to college life been as a student-athlete?
"It was really busy. Once I got the hang of it, it was smooth. Balancing practice, class and weights was hard for the first week but I got used to it after that. On the court, the speed of the game is definitely the biggest difference. Everybody is here for a reason, we all want to play."
How has the team meshed so far?
"All the older girls are very supportive, they've helped us out so much. Already I feel like we're so connected. We get along really well. We're always pushing each other to be better."
Your're currently recovering from an injury, so what has that process been like heading into the season?
"The coaches and training staff have been very helpful and supportive with the recovery and physical training. I just want to support my team, but I know I have to work hard in PT and get back to where I need to be. Right now I'm focused on getting back to 100 percent so I can help the team. The training staff always pushes me to get better and they've been great."
