Indoor and beach volleyball junior, Samantha Guillotte is nominated for the Southern States Athletic Conference Dr. Leroy Walker Champion of Character Award. It recognizes those who uphold and uplift the core values of Champions of Character. Known for her positivity and dedication, Guillotte’s character radiates on and off the court.
“It’s how I was raised. I just step up whenever. If something happens, I need to step up and do it, without giving it a second thought,” Guillotte said.
Guillotte experimented with every sport under the sun. From track to basketball, she did it all, but volleyball kept her heart. She was recruited to do beach volleyball and played her freshman year at Loyola. The next year, she was asked to join the indoor team, and accepted, becoming a dual-athlete. Sadly, Guillotte got injured and wasn’t able to finish the season with indoor, but came back to compete with the beach team. Today, she’s embarking on her 10th year of volleyball, continuing with indoor only, and graduating early this spring.
“I came into college with a lot of credits thanks to my high school, and sometimes I feel like I’m exhausting myself and I need to take a step back and reevaluate. Especially as an athlete, I have my hard days and leaning on my teammates really helped me,” Guillotte said.
Outside of athletics, Guillotte is Alpha Chi Omega’s chapter relations and standard officer, First in Pack leader, volleyball coach, and is a videographer and photographer.
Guillotte’s most memorable time at Loyola was at the conference tournament for beach volleyball, her freshman year.
“It was really hard on me mentally, and I think that challenged and changed me a lot. But, it was also one of the most fun times,” Guillotte said.
Guillotte reminds us that we are so much more than what we do.
“[Character] defines who you are. [You] are so much more than your batting or shooting percentage, and people will remember you for you. My biggest encouragement is knowing that I’m more than who I am on the court. I’m also a friend, daughter, and teammate,” Guillotte said.
