Athlete Spotlight: Spiker Ellie Robinson

The Lookout Photo Editor Kaitlyn Delaney recently sat down to chat with LCC volleyball player Ellie Robinson, a sophomore who graduated from DeWitt High School.

When did you start playing volleyball?
“My sister played. She’s four years older than me, so I played with her in the yard when I was in third grade. But they didn’t have volleyball teams until seventh and eighth grade, so I really started playing when I was 11.”

What is your favorite thing about volleyball?
“It’s always been my safe place, which is what I love about it. It’s somewhere I can go to get everything out of my mind and be with my friends. It’s more like a family than friends, but I really like that. And just the competitiveness of it.”

Do you have any moments from playing volleyball that stand out?
“In high school we won the regional game. We didn’t win the finals, but you had to win three games to get into the finals. We won the semi-final, which was huge for DeWitt, and I just remember that as a core memory because we were all dead on the floor at the end of the match.”

Is there one piece of advice you’ve been given that sticks out with you?
“In high school, I was always told not to worry about what others say about you. It’s very competitive at DeWitt, and parents got mad when I was on JV as a freshman. So, I try to have tunnel vision. That’s what our coach here says a lot; not listening to the crowd, not listening to other people. Also, next-ball mentality has also been huge for me. If you make a mistake, it’s OK and it’s not the end of the world.”

Do you have any personal or team goals for the rest of the season?
“We sit down and do personal and team goals every season, at the beginning of the season, middle of the season and at the end of the season. What I wrote for mine was to have two- to three-point passes in serve receive, which, if you don’t know volleyball, it is almost perfect passes. Two to three kills and blocks per set was also one of my goals. And having a strong mindset was one of my other goals, because volleyball is a very mental game. For team goals this season, we did; winning our conference, going undefeated at home because last year we went undefeated at Don Johnson (Fieldhouse), and making it to districts and nationals.”

Do you have any game-day routines?
“I always have my hair pushed back; I guess that’s kind of my thing. I hate when it’s in my face. I had a suspicion this season that I have to have scrambled eggs before every game, for breakfast. Coach said something like “eggs always make me play better,” so I started eating scrambled eggs. In high school I always had Fiesta Charra before games, which probably wasn’t a good idea, but I did.”

If you weren’t a volleyball player, what sport would you have played?
“I did dance when I was younger, but I quit that when I was 7. I played basketball once when I was in fourth grade. I can’t imagine playing any other sport, though. If I did want to try another sport, it would probably be basketball, just because I’m tall.”

What are your plans after LCC?
“I’m going to Columbia Southern University. It’s an online college, but I was the first recipient of the four-year free tuition scholarship. So, I’m going to go do that, because it’s free, so might as well.”