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Photo provided by Emily Canaan
Allen's Emily Canaan: Preseason Libero of the Year Fan Poll Winner
A Look Back
Although her junior season ended sooner than she would have liked, it's safe to say that Canaan had an excellent year and made great memories while doing so. So far, the University of Florida volleyball commit's favorite memory with Allen was when the team won a five-set "thriller" to come back and make it to playoffs.
Canaan believes that the secret to Allen's strength is "constant communication between players and coaches on and off the court." It's no secret that the better a team's chemistry is, the better they are going to perform together and trust in each other. "Encouraging, helping, always having a positive attitude, and leading your teammates throughout the season helps form very strong bonds within the team," added Canaan.
Allen volleyball coach Stephanie Poole had only positive things to say about Canaan's contribution to the team. "Emily is obviously an incredible libero and very fun to watch play," said Poole. "She makes things look easy, but you also know that behind her consistent play is years of training and hard work. You don't make the plays she makes without the commitment and extra hours she has dedicated to this sport. More impressive, however, is EC's leadership -- she's a steady presence on the court; she's entrusted with a lot of the court and she's also a dependable teammate and influence, especially in leading and helping our younger players."
Senior Season Loading...
It's easy to get distracted and use your off-season to goof off- every athlete deserves a break and to have fun every now and then, but to truly stay focused is where you separate the good from the best. For Canaan, her drive to compete and continually improve keeps her at the top of her game in season and out of season. In doing so, she plays club volleyball to keep her mind and body in the game. "Typically, after my high school season is over with Allen, I immediately jump into club volleyball at Dallas Skyline Juniors. Once club is over, I train and compete in the summers with the USAV National Training and Development Program along with attending college camps, privates, and strength training," said Canaan during her interview.
With her senior season being so pivotal, her main goal is to simply get better. "My individual goals are to focus on my strength, stamina, and agility," said Canaan. "Our high school team goal is to be district champs." Headed into the season, Canaan has a positive mindset. "As my last year in high school and club, I'm looking forward to playing side by side with my amazing teammates. I'm hoping to have the best season ever!"
To College and Beyond!
Canaan has verbally committed to play volleyball for the University of Florida. From there, she hopes to continue to be the best that she can be to ultimately fulfill her dream of playing volleyball for Team USA in the Olympics.
Fun Questions:
Who do you look up to as an athlete?
"Three-time Olympian libero Stacy Sykora."
If you could go to dinner with one person (dead or alive) who would dit be? What would you want to talk to them about?
"My Grandpa Cuellar. He passed away two years ago and he was my biggest fan. I'd like to tell him that I'm never going to give up on my dream to make it on the U.S. Women's Olympic team."
VYPE DFW Private School Female Golf Athlete of the Year Fan Poll Winner: Avery Hill
Looking Back:
Photo Courtesy of John Evans
"I will always be blessed with memories from my freshman year as I was fortunate enough to be teammates with my older sister, Jordan," said Hill in an interview with VYPE DFW. "But my favorite memory on the golf course occurred my sophomore year when my team won the state championship!"
Despite a shortened season last year, Hill was able to stay motivated through golf tournaments outside of school. "I had been invited to play in the National High School Championship at Pinehurst, so I still had a goal to work towards which kept me motivated. And there was an upside of this cover enriched off season: I had my very first hole-in-one!"
Secrets to Success:
Photo Courtesy of John Evans
It's no doubt that practice makes perfect and practice helps improve performance. Crafting skill such as Hill takes work and dedication. She credits much of this season's success to working with her new swing coach, Joey Wuertemberger. "My game is trending in such a positive direction with his assistance," said Hill. "He is brilliant and so positive, I understand my own swing so much better now and am able to make more own on-course corrections."
Leadership continues to be a trend for Hill as she credits the coaches with her team's overall success this season. Aside from that, the ability to enjoy practice played a huge role according to Hill. "We have coaches who love our team and so do much for us, but also this season we had new people trying golf for the very first time, all of them being some of my closest friends which kept practice light hearted and fun to be at."
What's In Store:
Photo Courtesy of John Evans
As Hill prepares to head off to college play, she is using the off season to focus on developing her game by making swing changes and gaining strength and swing speed. The soon-to-be UMHB freshman plans to major in marketing and eventually pursue becoming a real estate developer.
What drew Hill to UMHB was Coach Rolston. "She has a heart of golf and an overwhelming evident heart for Jesus," said Hill. "It was clear early on that I would be very fortunate to play for her and it would be a blessing for her to develop me as a player and young adult. After spending more time there I recognized it was a school I saw myself going to even if I didn't play golf and that is when I committed."
Coach's Comments:
Photo Courtesy of John Evans
"Avery's performance as an individual was not the big surprise," Fort Worth Christian's head golf coach John Evans remarked. "The big surprise was she led a five-member team of girls- which had three players who had been playing golf for less than one year and prior to this year's District Championship had never played in a golf tournament before. Over our four years together, she has developed into an outstanding lady golfer and an extraordinary leader."
Fun Questions
Who is your favorite professional sports team?
"Dallas Stars."
Who do you look up to as an athlete?
"I look up to Bubba Watson after his recent interviews about his struggles with the game. Nerves on the golf course are a very real thing for competitive golfers and it was refreshing to hear that pros undergo those same feelings."
If you could have dinner with one person, who would it be? What would you talk about?
"As a golfer I think the go-to answer is Tiger Woods for all the obvious reasons! But also because I know I would benefit learning from his focus and course demeanor."