Volleyball may seem like a easy sport, with the simple task of keeping the ball off the floor, but when the opponents are slamming it with all of their might, it is quite a challenge.
Kristen Chin from Mills High School seems to have the sport down, being named All-Peninsula Athletic League in her freshman and junior years.
Chin started playing volleyball in fifth grade along with several other sports, including soccer, basketball and gymnastics. Her primary sport was soccer, but after injuring her knee she switched her focus to volleyball.
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"I never really thought I would get far in volleyball, but I started to like it more as I got better," said Chin.
And Chin did get better, much better, as she joined the San Francisco Juniors Volleyball Club and helped bring her team to the Junior Olympics twice.
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Currently in her fourth year on the Mills team, Chin is an outside hitter. She finds her coaches and teammates to be influential, as they push her to improve both for herself and for the team.
Chin and her teammates are on the courts everyday after school to practice, and work hard to improve their own skills and confidence in each other.
"No one person can cover the whole court," said Chin. "In order for a volleyball team to work, you have to trust your teammates and be confident that they can do the job."
To prepare for a game, she focuses on her game and skills rather than her opponents.
"Before a game, I warm up and get as pumped as I can, because the more energy I have, the better I play," said Chin.
She recalls a memorable game during her sophomore year, when the Mills team advanced to the CCS championships.
"I remember playing the 'playoff' game and it was the most exhilarating and most exciting game," said Chin. "We all played our hardest and left everything on the court."
The hard work paid off, and the team won the game.
Despite her strong competitive drive, Chin stresses that winning is not the most important thing.
"If my team puts out our best game and fights hard to win, but ends up losing, then we won within ourselves," she said.
Chin is impressive off the court as well, as she plans to begin pre-medical studies in college next year. Though she has strong ambitions academically, she is not ready to leave volleyball behind and hopes to continue to play in college.
"It has become such a big part in my life, I don't know what I would do without it," said Chin.
