By Matt Wah
Staff Writer
Mira Costa senior Emma White’s volleyball skill has secured her a place at the University of Pennsylvania. However, she could not have made the accomplishment without support from her team and her current co-captain seniors Ella Rosenfeld and Andi Zbojniewicz. Only the top players receive this title, as the three will head this year’s Mira Costa volleyball team as captains. Captains of the team show incredible dedication and passion for the sport of volleyball.
“Our role as captains is to get our team fired up and be leaders on and off the court. The three of us have been on varsity for three years so that was one reason we became captains. Ultimately it was the coach’s decision,” White said.
In order to hone their skills, White and the Costa team meet Monday through Friday for three hours for every practice. Their time and commitment to the sport is immense, and everything has paid off in terms of colleges. White’s commitment to Penn was eagerly accepted as her hard work has paid off.
“I chose Penn because I wanted to use volleyball to help me get into a great academic school. However, I still wanted to play for a very competitive program. I think Philadelphia is an amazing city with much to offer. When I went to visit Penn I really liked all the girls on the team, the coaches, and the beautiful campus,” White said.
Last year’s senior players (Falyn Fonomoina, Sheridan Taylor, and Alyssa Anderson) have moved on to play at the college level. Despite the loss of the Costa season’s first game, White still looks forward to the rest of the season.
“We haven’t had a great start to this season but it is still really early and there is plenty of time to turn everything around,” White said.
With Costa’s legendary volleyball team history in their hands, the girls are confident that they will not disappoint.
“Emma White is a great captain for the 2010 Mira Costa girls volleyball team because she has started as an outside hitter for her sophomore and junior years, which has given her valuable experience both on and off the court. Emma has learned from past captains and can handle the pressures and responsibilities that being a captain entails,” Costa volleyball coach Lisa Zimmerman said.
Surprisingly, White does not have either older siblings or parents who played volleyball. From her first experience with volleyball, she loved it.
“I got into volleyball in third grade when I started doing clinics. I was really bad back then and I never could have seen myself playing in college. I stuck with the sport because I all my friends play and being part of a team is an experience you can’t get anywhere else,” White said.
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