Olivia (Liv) Szyszkiewicz '20 Recruiting Profile

" To make your teammates look good instead of helping yourself" is an expectation I uphold of myself when playing the game of volleyball.  Encouraging  my teammates and keeping them positive is just as important to me as my level of skill on the court.  I am Olivia Szyszkiewicz and I have been playing volleyball since I was in the 2nd grade.  I am now a sophomore at Union Catholic Regional High School and have been an all-around Varsity starter since my freshman year.  Last year, my high school team came in first in our conference and in the county finals.   My position on the team is setter and opposite.  I may not be 6 foot but I have a unique skill in that I can play all around and that is what keeps me in during every game.  I was named Third Team All Conference freshman year.  This year I strive to help my team win counties again and make it into the state finals and possibly the Tournament of Champions.  

I am looking for a college that will help me advance my academic and athletic skills.  I plan to major in Marine Biology and therefore would like a school that is near the ocean.  My dream would be to become a marine biologist in order to help marine wildlife who have been injured accidentally or by the garbage that is polluting their ocean.  I want to help clean up the ocean, and learn more about the ways marine life interacts with their surroundings.  I have great sympathy and an even greater passion for these animals, and want to spend my life helping them as much as I can.  My GPA for freshman year was a 4.085 and I am challenging myself this year by continuing with accelerated and advance placement classes.  I'm hoping that by following this path I can be accepted into an academically challenging college with a competitive volleyball program.  

I also play beach volleyball and would be just as happy if I could be accepted into a competitive college program for beach.  I started playing beach volleyball in the summer of 2014 to improve my indoor skills.  The extra time in the sand has greatly improved my indoor game.  Beach has strengthened my mental game by not letting a mistake affect my next touch.  I learn from a mistake and then move on without letting it affect my positive attitude.  I only think about the next point and what I need to do in order to get it.  I have brought this trait to my indoor game and it has helped me and my teammates to stay positive and focused during a tough match.  This past summer I played in several junior tournaments and challenged myself and played in two competitive Women's AA tournaments and earned a 1st and 2nd place win.

Thank you for reading my profile and allowing me the opportunity to tell you a little bit about my passions in life- marine wildlife and volleyball.