Freshman Stella Smith has played in all 31 of the Clarkston Volleyball team’s sets. With a 2.23 serve receive average and already totaling 103 digs, Smith shared her mentality going into her matches to provide a statline like this, “I try to beat myself out because at the end of the day the competition is between you and yourself, and not who’s on the other team. So just striving for perfection and being competitive,” Smith said.
She also shared that in order to be successful you cannot worry about the other team, you have to worry about your own team and your own success. Smith is very passionate about volleyball. She and her team play with grit, as they are ranked 10th in the state.
She has an uplifting positive impact on her team, but she plays to win. Smith gets game ready by “going on walks, listening to music before games, we do dance parties, which makes me clear my head and helps me not take everything so seriously and go into the match with a more positive perspective.”
In a way, Smith likes things to be light and easy, but once she steps on to that court it’s all about mentality and passion. She likes to be the light on her team even though she is competitive. It’s all about the strive.
Smith offered advice to younger generations about not giving up, saying, “If you want something, and you want to do something great, just think about the bigger picture and the bigger goal in life and not think so small about how you’re failing at the moment, but thinking about how much you can succeed in the future if you keep working.”
Stella Smith is an inspiration to not only her team, but the younger generation as well. When she fails, she just puts her head down and strives to be better. Come see Smith at Detroit Country Day School tonight at 7pm. Go Wolves!
