According to senior volleyball player Laura Goldsmith, no matter how hard the game is or what the temperature is like outside, freshman Emily Phillips’ hair always looks perfect.
But don’t let looks fool you.
Phillips just won SCAC offensive player of the week for her help in the Tigers SCAC victories.
“Emily brings a solid level of consistency, and is a player with great ball control, and is very smooth but powerful on the court,” Head Coach Rick Swan said. “Emily has a lot of confidence in herself and is very positive and supportive of her teammates.”
According to the CC athletics website, Phillips, a native of Woodlands, Texas, helped lead her team to a 3-0 weekend. Phillips, an outside hitter, played in all 11 sets during the weekend.
Phillips started playing volleyball in sixth grade. She said that even when she was little, she knew she wanted to play in college because she loves the sport so much. Her favorite aspects of the sport are competitiveness and being a part of a team that shares the same love for the sport.
And then CC just seemed like the right place for her. “The coaching staff is amazing, and I loved everything about CC from the block plan, beautiful campus, and just being in Colorado,” Phillips said.
Phillips is doing her part to help her team here. “Emily is always working hard and trying to improve everyday she comes to practice,” Swan said. “She is very coachable.”
Goldsmith said she is a great teammate, positive, reliable, and consistent on the court. “She is really calm, which brings a lot to the team, especially because our team is so young,” Goldsmith said. “It is really refreshing to have players who play consistently well all the time and don”t freak out if something goes wrong.” Goldsmith also said that she acts a lot more mature than her age, which has proven very helpful on the court.
Phillips very much appreciates her teammates as well. “I’m so honored that I was chosen for this award [SCAC offensive player of the week], but I couldn’t have earned it without my teammates,” she said. “They make me work hard and want to be better.”
This past summer, Phillips worked with a trainer and practiced her volleyball skills to prepare for CC. When she is not playing, she said she loves to snowboard. She is studying biology and intends to be pre-med.
So, while she is busy, she is still very positive. “We are doing well so far, and I think if we continue playing together and working hard we will go really far this season,” Phillips said. “I love CC and can’t wait to see where this season takes us as a team!”
Catch Phillips and her team in action at their next home game on Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. versus University of Colorado – Colorado Springs.
Ellie Cole
Guest Writer