Volleyball Newcomer Q&A: Abby Marjama
9/22/2020 1:18:00 PM | Volleyball
Junior – Outside Hitter – Granite Bay, Calif.
On her start in volleyball
"We had family friends who played volleyball in college. When I was 10 years old they encouraged me to try it because I was kind of tall. I grew up playing every sport possible, we had an athletic family. Our local gym had open volleyball nights on Tuesdays and they started to train me to see how I liked it. At first I hated it and I didn't get it at all. I wanted to stick with swimming or soccer. About two weeks in I learned how to hit and finally got the ball over the net and it was a pretty good hit for a 10-year-old. That was the moment I felt great about the sport. I felt confident and that's when it started to click and I started picking up on things. I tried out for club about three months later and fell in love with it."
On playing volleyball in college
"I always dreamed about playing sports in college. I have an athletic family and my oldest brother went on to play baseball in college and professionally, so athletics was important to my family but I never knew exactly what sport. I started focusing on volleyball and even around middle school I knew I wanted to play in college and even hopefully play overseas or in the Olympics. I always wanted to go as far with it as I could. In eighth grade I tried out for the USA program and got on the A1 team, so one of their top teams. That boosted my confidence a lot. Training with the best athletes and coaches in the country was a great experience."
On her brother's influence in wanting to play in college
"Every weekend we were making the drive to SoCal because my oldest brother played baseball at Long Beach State. It was a ritual. Looking back as I grew older, it was an amazing experience watching him be part of that college culture and experience having your team as a family. Seeing him play in front of big crowds and seeing the community support was something I wanted."
On deciding to attend UC Irvine
"I've always been a California girl. That's my home and where I feel most comfortable. In high school I think I was a little scared to look elsewhere. I had interest from a lot of places but I'm kind of a homebody. I love the beach and SoCal and was always happy with that. At UC Irvine you're basically on the beach so that's hard to turn down. The academics there were a good fit as well."
On deciding to enter the transfer portal
"I felt like I wanted to grow as a person. I thought getting out of California and experiencing something new was a great opportunity to find myself and get out of my comfort zone. Alabama is a big program to represent. Whenever you're in the airport, even back home, if you're wearing an Alabama shirt people say 'Roll Tide' to you. It's an iconic school and a huge accomplishment to represent that. I also wanted a big school experience. Coming here and seeing the pride and the team culture was really appealing."
On when Alabama entered the picture
"When I first decided to enter the portal I was super nervous. I wasn't sure if any team would want me. That same day I entered to portal I got an email from Alabama. That was the first really big school that contacted me. It was really exciting for me. I called my parents and my brothers and said, 'guess who just emailed me?' I never thought a school this big would notice me, coming from a smaller school out west.
"The first time I talked with [Assistant Coach] Ladislav [Lelkes] I was on my way to class and I ended up missing the class because we were having such a great conversation and really getting to know each other as people, which is a big thing for me and the coaches as well. I talked to [Assistant Coach] Megan [Ailshie] soon after and she was super fun to talk to and get to know. It was the same thing with Coach Lindsey [Devine] talking about who we are as people, our values and our goals. It felt like the right fit."
On her first visit to campus and her commitment
"It was the week before everything shut down. My parents weren't able to come so it was just me and my brother. Coming from a very small school, seeing the facilities and the campus was amazing. I had never been to the south so driving around campus and just seeing the area was great. I tried to take everything in as the coaches were showing me around but I really couldn't because it was so much. It's a blessing to have all these things we're privileged to get here. I've never seen a weight room this nice. The campus and town atmosphere and culture are really fun.
"I wasn't planning on committing on my visit because I was still in the middle of my visits and I had planned on going to other schools after. Once I got here I knew this was the place. Before I even got here my parents knew I was going to come here even though I tried to convince myself I wouldn't commit on the visit. Once I did and I called them, they were screaming at the top of their lungs. Even just talking to me on the phone during my visit, they could tell how happy I was here. This felt like a true home to me."
On navigating the uncertainty of the season
"Even though gyms were closed, I had to put together a routine and step up because I wanted to be prepared when I came here. I did everything I could doing workouts on my own, going to the beach and doing sprints. Back home I got a personal trainer and was doing one-on-one activities making sure I was prepared. As far as the uncertainty, I tried not to stress about it. I personally can't control what the NCAA or the SEC decides, but I can focus on myself and being a part of the team. I would do whatever I could do to help the team, whether that's extra reps or building connections with my teammates. I focused on controlling the things I could control. We all focused on doing our best and working as hard as we could."
On the NCAA's eligibility ruling and the SEC's hybrid fall/spring schedule
"We are very lucky and blessed that we do get to play. Our biggest concern was not being able to play. If you're an athlete and you come to college, your goal is to compete and in the SEC you get to do this against some of the best in the country. We were excited once the SEC announced the season and I think everyone did a great job finding a compromise with our hybrid schedule. We're just happy we get to play, we're not being too picky about it. We just want the opportunity to compete."
On adjusting to health and safety protocols at practice
"At first it wasn't ideal. It's a lot to practice in a mask and clean all the volleyballs and the poles and try to distance. You're used to high fives and being able to connect and communicate with your teammates on the court. We've gotten used to it though and [athletic trainer] Karah [Sims] and [strength coach] Josh [Lancaster] and the coaching staff have really helped us out and gotten us everything we need to be safe. Even though there are limits we can still get everything we need done on and off the court. We're still giving 100 percent effort even with the masks and the distancing. That competition and drive is part of the culture we're bringing. Even with a lot of new pieces and all these restrictions, we're still growing as a team and putting in the work."
On her goals for the year
"We may be underdogs, but we want to go out and compete and beat teams other people might not think we can beat. We want to be conference champions, we want to go to the NCAA Tournament and we want to set records. We want to do the things that are unexpected. We are doing the small things first and working our way up. Personally, coming from northern California there isn't a ton of opportunities for volleyball exposure. Getting to come here is already a big accomplishment for me but I want to make an impact and be a great teammate. At practice or in games, whether I'm on the court or on the bench I'm going to make an impact somewhere. I want to be a good role model for everyone and a positive person."
