Photo Courtesy of AUM Athletics
Choosing the thrilling world of college volleyball
By: Deshala Wilkins
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — What is the true motivation of a college athlete? In an interview, Auburn University at Montgomery (AUM) athlete Giulia Santuari said her love for volleyball struck her at the age of nine, but it was not always her first choice.
The 6-foot-1 senior psychology major from Italy started off playing basketball but did not like the physical contact. “I realized I didn’t like contact sports, so I tried volleyball and it stuck with me,” she said. Volleyball seemed to be a great alternative to basketball for Santuari, It is a national trend to leave basketball for volleyball, according to Vicki Friedman in her ESPN report Why volleyball — not basketball — is winning the popular vote.
For the past 13 years, Santuari has grown to love the volleyball sport. She always thought volleyball was fun because of the amount of teamwork put into it. Teamwork is essential in building relationships, along with confidence and adding to the overall growth of the team, she added. “Some of my oldest friendships have been created with volleyball,” Santuari said. When a sports team lacks teamwork, it shows in their performance when they are playing, she added.
Santuari preaches to her younger self to never give up and know everything happens for a reason. Santuari came to the United States from Trento, Italy and knew nothing of how volleyball was played in the states, or about the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II zone rules. “I feel like if I had, maybe my experience would have been a little different because I had to pick up some stuff along the way with the mindset that everything happens for a reason, and that you just have to stick with it.” She said this dedication has led her to be the great right-side hitter she is today. She said volleyball is a fun sport, especially when the team is winning. But when they start losing, a lot of emotions begin to rise.
These emotions could really put a dent in the players’ performance on and off the court. Santauri stated, “It’s like you have to always put out positive energy because positive energy feeds positive energy.” The intensity of the game leads to frustration by players, which can cause them to feel overwhelmed or anxious. Every sports team needs a good game de-stressor. “We have a rule on the team which is called the three seconds rule. So, if you’re ever angry or frustrated, or I don’t know you want to break something, you take three seconds to let that emotion out, and then after three seconds, you just let it go and think about the next ball,” Santuari recommended.
To prepare for game day AUM volleyball players use different preparations. “We usually have some time to say by ourselves before the actual team warm-up and stuff starts,” she said. “I usually kind of visualize what our game plan is based on the team we’re going to play and then I just tend to listen to the same music, like the same playlist, and then I spend like five to ten minutes just by myself doing exercises thinking about what I can do to play well, that game.”
This is Santauri’s final year at AUM. After graduation, she plans to attend a master’s program studying clinical psychology or sports psychology. Santauri encourages freshmen trying out for the team to believe in themselves. ”I feel like 17 and 18 is the age in which you have low confidence, you don’t feel like you’re enough, you compare yourself to other people.” Confidence in sports is gained through mental and physical readiness, she said. As stated on its website, AUM Athletics is committed to developing these student-athlete life skills “to support the development of a well-balanced lifestyle for student-athletes, encouraging emotional well-being, leadership, personal growth and decision-making skills.”
Santuari added, “You have to be confident otherwise you’re never going to reach your full potential. Definitely believe in yourself and just fight for your dreams. Like, don’t let other people, don’t let situations make you give up on them, right?” Santauri said. This fierce volleyball player has a bright future ahead of her with great things to come.