VOLLEYBALL: Poly senior, Desiree Howard receives college volleyball scholarship
By Avelina Maier, Staff Writer
Colin Powell once said, “A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work.” Desiree Howard (12) has experienced this first hand as she overcame many obstacles on her journey to becoming a college volleyball player. She recently committed to playing volleyball at Texas Southern University, a Division One school in volleyball. “Ever since I started playing volleyball, my passion has only gotten bigger and bigger. Every time I’m on the court, I remember how much I love the sport. My passion is what drove me to reach this goal,” Howard expressed. Being on varsity for most of her high school career as well as traveling the nation with the highest division of her club team has helped her begin this road to success.
With great accomplishments like these arise numerous obstacles that can sometimes discourage one from reaching his or her goal. “With anything, there comes bumps in the road. Volleyball is a difficult sport, no doubt about it, and sometimes the bumps in the road get in the way of the passion. There have definitely been times where I questioned if it was worth it or not,” Howard said. When it comes to balancing academics and sports, the love and support of her team is always there. “Whenever she got discouraged and felt like giving up, we refused to let her. Her passion for the game is so great that no doubt she would make it into college volleyball. We were always there for here and always will be,” fellow teammate Charlotte Havrisik (12) expressed.
Her coaches also recognize her tremendous ability. Her current Poly volleyball coach noted her talent and hard work from the beginning and has seen her progress throughout the year. “Although I’ve only been familiar with Desiree’s skills for less than a year, there’s no doubt she has extreme potential for the game. Her hard work and passion is amazing and I respect her tremendously for that,” Coach Mike Macneil said.
Howard’s hard work and determination has finally paid off as she prepares to embark on her journey in pursuit of her passion. Although this new stage in her life will hold its own set of obstacles, Howard will surpass them. We hope that she feels at home and welcome at her new university next fall, and when looking back at her high school stage, she will remember how it shaped her into the amazing volleyball player she is today.