Amanda Oldani marketing freshman, has been playing volleyball since she was in sixth grade, when she played for a club team. In eighth grade, Oldani began playing for her high school team, New Braunfels High School in New Braunfels, Texas, where she won the True Blue Award for being an outstanding student-athlete.

Oldani is a defensive specialist for the ‘Pack, but when she started playing, she was a setter. “When I was younger I was a setter, but as I got older I didn’t grow and needed to be taller to be a setter, and I started excelling playing defense,” Oldani said.

The transition from high school to college volleyball was a smooth for the most part, according to Oldani. “The level of play kind of increased, but it was a whole new life style, and you have to adapt to a whole new level of living,” Oldani said. Adapting to a new offense, defense and coach were part of the transition, but these were somewhat simple to get used to, according to Oldani. “Time management is huge now. In high school everything was structured with classes and then volleyball, now there are classes mixed in with volleyball and studying,” Oldani said

For Oldani her first game with the ‘Pack was an experience she will never forget because it was a learning experience and also “a lot of fun”.

Oldani said of her teammate Keelyn Henderson, finance senior, “I don’t look up to her only because she’s our captain, but she’s a senior, she plays my position, and I really respect her,” Oldani said.Oldani admits volleyball is her true love. “I like what perseverance, hard work and what you can gain from it,” Oldani said. She said she believes she has become a better player at Loyola, both physically and mentally.

Oldani said she hopes to win the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Championship and then go to the National Tournament.

Eduardo Gonzales can be reached at [email protected].