Introduction:
Emery Tubbs, Fallyn Blotzer, Morgan Herman, and Riley Rush are seniors on the Santiago volleyball team. Their determination and dedication to the sport are evident. Emery starts middle, Fallyn starts outside, Morgan plays right side and middle, and Riley starts setter. These athletes are a perfect demonstration. Their hard work paid off, always putting in effort in and outside of practice to continue growing their skill.
Emery Tubbs:
Emery is lively, kind, outgoing, and hard-working. She started playing volleyball in COVID because travel basketball was shut down for a while. During that time, she decided to give volleyball a try. Emery is well known around campus for volleyball and her involvement with many clubs and other sports teams. “My experience has been great, and I’ve made memories that I’ll never forget,” she shared. She is a part of the basketball program, volleyball program, and ASB, clearly leaving her mark at Santiago. When asked about her favorite memory from volleyball, she said, “My favorite game was my Junior year when we played Centennial at their home court and got revenge, beating them in 4 sets after we had lost at home.” That must have been a crazy game, and definitely felt good beating them. Her last home game on Tuesday, October 8th, was an emotional but memorable moment. “My last home game was really exciting since we ended up going to 5 sets, and the win secured our spot in CIF playoffs,” Emery stated. One accomplishment Emery had was breaking Santiago’s school record for blocks during a season. Emery has a total of 73 blocks. When she found this out she shared, “ I was really proud of myself because all my hard work had paid off. I then became eager to break the league record in the same year which I ended up doing.” Emery is such an amazing, talented, and unreal player, and she will be attending Texas A&M College to continue playing volleyball with a Division 1 scholarship. Lastly, Emery shared advice for a younger player, “Enjoy and savor every practice, game, team meal, and tournament because it goes by so fast.”
Fallyn Blotzer:
Fallyn is hard-working, talented, funny, a leader, friendly, and athletic. She will attend the University of Cincinnati to continue her volleyball career, and we all know she will do amazing things there. Fallyn’s favorite memory includes “going to the quarter-finals of CIF my freshman year and playing my senior season with my little sister,” she shared. Fallyn shared that their last home game was “bittersweet,” because it was her last game.
Morgan Herman:
Morgan Herman is sweet, talented, and smart. Morgan started her volleyball journey after playing soccer for a while and feeling like she wanted to try something new. Her mom then signed her up for volleyball because many people told her she might be good at it due to her height. She said, “From the First clinic, I knew it was a right fit for me.” Morgan shared with me about her time at Santiago Sports and Education, “It’s definitely been a roller coaster of events; it’s hard being a student-athlete and is definitely a big commitment. You have to stay on top of your school work because while being in season, it’s hard to catch up on work, especially when you have release times and miss assignments. It’s important to prepare mentally for late nights of doing homework and finding time to study for tests and quizzes.” Morgan is definitely right; juggling your sport plus keeping up your grades is a commitment. Morgan’s last home game felt emotional and unreal. Morgan said, “the game didn’t feel real and still doesn’t.” It’s emotional when you realize you played your last high school game.
Similarly, her favorite memory of playing at Santiago was senior night; she enjoyed walking down with her family. Morgan told me that she wished she would have been more confident while playing and enjoyed more of the little moments. Morgan’s college decisions are still in debt, but she wants to major in health science. Finally, Morgan advised players, “Have fun because it doesn’t last forever. Don’t give up on the sport you love when it gets hard; push through because every bit of it is worth it.
Riley Rush:
Riley is a fantastic friend. She is kind, helpful, sweet, supportive, and hardworking. Riley has participated in the Santiago volleyball program since her freshman year. Her drive and passion for volleyball are noticeable. Her outgoing attitude is a fantastic trait to have. Riley started playing volleyball because of her mom, “she has always been such an inspiration to me,” Riley shared. Riley has had a great time at Santiago, “my experience has been very good. I have found some great friends, especially through volleyball. These friends have stuck with me since freshman year, and I am forever grateful. Educational-wise, it was really hard during my freshman and junior years, but ever since, I have been doing really well. This has helped me develop an interest in psychology.” Riley has had many great experiences at Santiago. Her favorite memory of all time throughout this program was senior night. “I have never felt so much love from all these girls, especially my younger teammates.” Her last game was a loving experience, “when we won our game, all four seniors were on the court together as well. Such a loving experience and I wouldn’t trade it for anything else.” I love Riley’s energy and enthusiasm for her sport and team members. Riley’s choices for college are still up in the air. Still, some of her interests are getting a psychology degree and going to cosmetology school at a certain point to start becoming a hairstylist. During a game, you must stay in a mindset to shake off mistakes, be the best you can for your team, and stay positive. Riley shared, “I’m always thinking of the next play. Also, as a setter, I constantly look at the other team’s blockers and focus on moving the offense around.” Which is smart. Riley also shared advice for younger players, “Keep focusing on school work. You have a better chance in college if you have a better GPA. But also keep your passions and friends close. Get involved!”
Conclusion:
Santiago’s volleyball program has produced well-rounded, kind, outgoing players, and their players are a part of more than just volleyball at the school. Emery, Fallyn, Morgan, and Riley have brought so much to their teams throughout their time here. We are all bummed to see it come to an end but excited to see what they do in the future. These athletes have proven that dedication to whatever you want will end in success.
