Starting her volleyball career at 8 years old, Elle Schara (12) grew up around her sisters, who also played volleyball, leading her to be introduced to the sport at a young age. Throughout her volleyball career, Schara has faced challenges, found inspiration in both her sister and teammates, set goals, and made memorable memories.
Although Schara grew up around volleyball, she found that one of the most challenging aspects of the game for her would be the mental aspect of it.
“I’d say my biggest challenge in volleyball is the mental side of the game,” Schara said. “Being able to get out of your head after mistakes can be very challenging for me, but I just remind myself to reset and go after it the next play.”
Faced with these challenges, Schara was able to move past them and continue to look to her sister for inspiration.
“My biggest inspiration is my sister,” Schara said. “Following in her footsteps for many years and seeing her accomplishments has been incredible, and it has been super inspiring. Also getting to watch her throughout the years has taught me so much on the court.”
Not only has Schara gained inspiration from her sister, but she has also found inspiration from her teammates.
“When I see my teammates doing well or making plays, it makes me want to do the same,” Schara said. “They inspire me to play to the best of my ability. When this happens, we can all come together to play as a team and the energy is unmatched.”
Faced with inspiration from her teammates, schara has found a goal of hers to be a leader on and off the court for her teammates.
“A goal of mine throughout this past high school season was to be a leader on and off the court for my teammates,” Schara said. “What I did to achieve this was staying mentally tough for my team in high pressure situations and trying to lead by example on the court physically.”
Despite the goals Schara has worked herself to achieve and the challenges she has faced, she has still gained memorable memories from her volleyball career.
“My favorite memory from my volleyball career is definitely getting second at nationals in open my 16s year of club,” Schara said. “My team and I definitely weren’t expecting to make it that far so finishing the season like that was super memorable.”
In summary, although faced with challenges, Schara has been able to overcome them, finding inspiration in both her sister and her teammates, which has aided her personal goal to be a leader on and off the court for her teammates. Schara plans to attend Purdue and continue her volleyball career.
