Atiya Mansfield '17 Recruiting Profile

Hello Friends, welcome to my profile! My name is Atiya Mansfield and I'm a 170 lbs, 5' 7" junior setter at Minneapolis Southwest High School in Minnesota. Ever since I was little, sports have been a very big part of my life. I've played soccer, basketball, tennis, softball, and I've also danced competitively, but once I started with volleyball I could not stop. With every team I've been a part of, it has been my goal to be THE prominent leader on the court, stage, or field. Ever since 7th grade it has been my ultimate goal to bring my unique kind of leadership to a college volleyball team. 

What I enjoy the most about school is the multiple opportunities I receive everyday to show more of myself; be it in English class voicing my opinion about a book we are reading, or in dance class expressing myself through movement. Dance has been an extremely influential segment of my life and has helped me show more of myself through expression of my body. Ironically some people have compared the way I move on the volleyball court to that of when I dance. I am focused on getting my GPA even higher by working very hard in both AP and IB classes. 

In college I am very interested in studying Sociology and the way people interact with one another.  I have always been a very outgoing person and I enjoy meeting new people. I would love to learn more about why we as people communicate with each other the way we do.  This major would help me tremendously in the future with the career I see myself going into. I'm interested in social work and helping families and people make big and small decisions in their life. 

I have been playing volleyball since fifth grade and it has changed my life entirely. I have not only improved my leadership skills but my communication skills as well.  I have been told multiple times that, on and off the court, I bring lots of energy to the team with my loud cheers, energetic calls, and swagger. I work my hardest when I set from both the front row and back row, and one of my favorite things to do is surprise the other team with a block. I have a very good eye for open areas on the other side of the court and I know how to switch up plays. I have been told I have the best hands in the gym and I definitely use that to my advantage. I personally believe the setter plays a very important role on his or her team, and that role is handling the second ball. The setter is the person on the court who controls how a play goes and who is running everything. I feel as if I handle having such a large responsibility very well. 

Thank you for reading my profile. I hope to learn more about your volleyball program and school very soon!