Posing for a picture, senior varsity volleyball player Joy Udoye takes her collegiate commitment photos for Stanford University. Udoye is a starter and outside hitter and also plays for the Austin Skyline Volleyball club. “I just love getting to compete at a high level,” Udoye said. “I think that pressure situation is where I thrive. I really enjoy tight matches, where it’s down to the wire, and you have to really give your all. That’s what I love about volleyball.” Photo Courtesy of Joy Udoye

Her arm cocks back, elbow high, then snaps forward in a blur. The sound fills the gym, but it’s not as loud as the cheer of the crowd as the final whistle blows. In that moment, senior Joy Udoye celebrates a state championship with her best friends after falling short last year.

​“It was definitely super rewarding, especially since last season, we went to state but fell short,” Udoye said. “We got second. So this season, we had more of a drive to win. I feel like the entire team was just bought into the process, and I’m just so grateful that I had the team and the support to do that.”

Udoye played volleyball on the varsity team for four years and will continue her academic and athletic career as a collegiate volleyball player at Stanford University in Silicon Valley, California. Throughout high school, Udoye spent her time outside of school playing for the Austin Skyline Volleyball Club, while also being involved in AP classes.

For volleyball, the recruiting process begins on June 15th, the summer before junior year. Udoye said that during her sophomore year was when she did her heavy recruiting. She said this consisted of emailing colleges, with some recruiters attending some of her tournaments and club games.

“Whenever I started volleyball at 10, Stanford was always my dream school,” Udoye said. “I was just really amazed by their academics and how competitive the volleyball program there is. So I’m just really lucky to be able to go there. The coaches are definitely super caring and really helpful to their athletes, and I can tell that they really care about each and every person.”

As a varsity starter since her freshman year, Udoye helped lead the volleyball team to a state runner-up finish and state championship in her junior and senior year, respectively. In her high school career, she was named a second-team All-American as a senior, was a two-time district MVP and was recently nominated for the Greater Sports Foundation Scholar Athlete in Austin.  

“This year as a player, I feel like I have developed in the aspect that I can self-correct myself a little bit better,” Udoye said. “Especially now that this is my last season of club, getting ready for college has put me in the mindset that I need to self-correct whenever people are not around and coaches aren’t around.”

After her four years at college, Udoye said that she is definitely open to going pro, but it depends on the opportunities. However, she said academics are equally important to her, as she hopes to become either a dentist or a radiologist if she does not go pro.

“Balancing school and volleyball has definitely been a struggle at times,” Udoye said. “I don’t have a lot of free time. It’s a lot on my body and my mind. But I still find ways to manage time, and I am able to do it, and I’m just excited that I went through all of this hard stuff and still go out of it. It’s definitely worth it.”

Udoye said her biggest advice for any incoming freshman or volleyball player is simple: don’t give up.

“There have been multiple times where I am like I can’t do this,” Udoye said. “And I just didn’t want to do it, but I just kept going. I definitely would say don’t underestimate yourself because you can do anything you put your mind to.”