Who-What-When:
Tanya Talks Life and Volleyball
In this story...
GAC Stringer Natalie interviews Tanya, age 16, a senior at The Harker School in San Jose, California. At 6'2'', she is one of the top high school volleyball players in the Bay Area and was recently named "Athlete of the Week" by the San Jose Mercury News. Currently being heavily recruited by Santa Clara University, Tanya has been under the college coaches' eyes since she was a sophomore! Beyond her athletic prowess—she has played varsity volleyball since her freshman year—she is also known for her friendly demeanor and bubbly personality.

Read on to learn more about Tanya!

Tanya spiking the ball

Natalie: What awards have you earned in volleyball?

Tanya: I have been playing volleyball since I was 12, and I've been on Harker Varsity all four years of high school. Every year so far I have been named to the West Bay Athletic League (WBAL) first team. Last year as a junior, I was named MVP of the Harker team as well as the MVP of our entire league. That season I was also listed as one of the Top 50 Junior Volleyball Recruits in the nation.

Natalie: Are you continuing volleyball in college?

Tanya: Yes, Santa Clara University (SCU) is giving me a full athletic scholarship to play volleyball there. I verbally committed to Santa Clara in July of this summer. They offered me a scholarship during my sophomore year, but I wanted to wait to decide so that I could consider all of my options and see which one fit me best. And I think Santa Clara is my best fit academically and athletically, so I'm really excited to join the Broncos! Santa Clara is in the West Coast Conference (WCC) and is a top 25 NCAA Division 1 volleyball program. Two years ago, they made it to the Final Four for volleyball.

Natalie: How do you live an active and healthy lifestyle?

Tanya: In addition to practicing volleyball for a couple hours a day, I try to run a mile three times a week. I am trying to improve my mile-time and be as fit as I can be so that I have enough physical endurance in a five-set volleyball match. Running the mile also teaches me mental endurance. When I'm in my final lap and start to think that I can't go on anymore without passing out, I push even harder and focus on my goal and don't stop until I reach it. I say to myself, "No, keep going. Don't give up, you can do it. One step at a time." I have the same mindset in life when I'm struggling with a situation. I tell myself that I can actually do a lot more than I think I can, and I push to the end.

Natalie: If you could give any advice to girls for living a healthy lifestyle, what would it be?

Tanya: I would tell girls to be comfortable with themselves and be proud to be who they are. When I was younger, I was always a head taller than my classmates. (At 6'2" now, I guess I still am, but I don't notice it as much!) I would feel uncomfortable "towering" over them and would even slouch down a little bit to make the difference less obvious. Now, however, I am proud to be tall and even wear high heels sometimes, which really makes me a giant. But, I wouldn't have it any other way. Be proud to be who you are because that's what makes you so special!

Natalie: What has playing volleyball taught you?

Tanya: There are many cliché topics that I could talk about in terms of what athletics has taught me—teamwork, leadership, time management, the list goes on. Those are all extremely important and valuable and I am so grateful for having been able to learn more about them through playing a sport. What I have taken most from playing a sport is learning to prepare myself as much as I can for the situation, to be ready for anything, and then to take a situation into my own hands when I have the opportunity.

What I mean is that you can never know exactly what the other team is going to do on the other side of the net, but you can control what your team does on your own side: how hard you practice every day and how healthily you eat the night before a match, etc. In a match, you can set the pace. You can set the standard. You can never know what the next day is going to bring, but you can control your attitude and how you are going to react to any situation.

Natalie: What is the best part about playing a team sport?

Tanya: What I love most about team sports is that when you win, the victory is so much more satisfying when you can share it with another group of people instead of just with yourself. All the people on the team are working together to achieve the same goal: getting a "W" and having fun. You do not have to be perfect; there are five other people on the court next to you, supporting you and cheering you on. You do have to pull your own weight, but when you're struggling, it's not the end of the world. Team sports really teach you about teamwork and how to step up when another teammate needs you to. On the back of one of our team shirts for Harker this year is the slogan, "Together Everyone Achieves More."

Natalie: What inspires you?

Tanya: Almost everything around me inspires me... One of the most inspiring things about volleyball is that sometimes you get a second chance. It is so rare to get a second chance in life, so always try to take advantage of your opportunities. Last season, my team lost badly to a league rival because we underestimated their capability and were not as prepared for the match as we should have been. So, later on in the season, when we had the opportunity to play them again, we took advantage of the situation and had the game of our lives. It was so satisfying beating them in front of our cheering home crowd, and that's inspiring and motivating to me.