Alanni Young is a senior business management major and a member of the volleyball team. She began playing volleyball in seventh grade and only stopped for a season, then picked right back up. Her junior year of college, she decided to take the year off. “I was trying to graduate early, so I was taking 21 credits the first semester. I didn’t really want to juggle the course load along with volleyball,” said Young. When asked why she came to Blackburn, she responded, “I came to play volleyball, really. That’s why I am here.”
She continues to play not only for her, but for her family. “They love watching me play. I constantly think about getting through the season for them. Everytime I think about quitting, I think about how much they enjoy watching me play. That’s what gets me through it,” said Young. Her family is her own inspiration and motivation to stick with it and never quit.
Her greatest accomplishments are all in her three seasons playing for Blackburn. Currently, Young is ranked number five in the conference in hitting percentage, with a .240. In 2016, she was named to the SLIAC All-Academic Team. In order to receive this award, an athlete must be at least a sophomore in academic standing, have a 3.5 cumulative GPA and attend their institution for a full year.
Young’s favorite aspect of playing volleyball is having a sense of friendship between the players: “No matter what, you’re in the gym with them all the time, especially this year with our new coach. I am guaranteed a good group of girls and friends to associate with.”
For the current season, Young is hitting .240, whereas in her freshman and sophomore years, she hit .118 and .174 respectively. She has 83 digs this season, almost doubling the amount she had her sophomore year, 46. She also has 95 kills yet on the young season, having only played 12 games. Just like any coach would want, Young continues to show improvement and is making the best out of her final season of competitive volleyball.