Name: Tatum Otolski

Grade: 10

Sport: Volleyball

Club: Michigan Volleyball Academy

Years playing: 8

Who has been your biggest inspiration in your volleyball career?

“My biggest inspiration would be my coaches. They pick you for a reason, and I want to go out every game and make them proud. Especially our new coach Dayle, we all know she cares so much about us and wants us to be amazing. Seeing her believe in us and believe that we can really do something motivates me immensely.”

What is your personal goal for this season? What do you think is the key to achieve this goal?

“My personal goal is to become more of a leader on the court and get a hitting percentage above .250 as well. To achieve this I have to keep being loud and encouraging while on the court and focus on less hitting errors.”

Is there a quote you like to live your life by? If not, what is your favorite quote?

“My favorite quote is ‘Somewhere behind the athlete you’ve become and the hours of practice and the coaches who have pushed you is a little girl who fell in love with the game and never looked back… play for her.’ When it comes to sports I’ve always loved this quote. I started volleyball at such a young age, and I’ve always known it would be easy for me to burn out. But something about my love for the game keeps me going. I always joke with my family that if I had it my way I’d be in the gym all day everyday playing volleyball. I love this specific quote because I have put in probably hundreds of hours, and I’ve had numerous coaches, but there will always be something keeping me going. That is my love for the sport.”

Talk a little about your time being apart of FHC volleyball, this year and previous years.

“I was on JV last year and I loved it! All my teammates were so nice and fun to be with. We got second in our conference which was great. Also, my coach was super supportive and helped me become a way better player. This year I am on varsity and it is very different than I expected. All the upperclassmen are so sweet, funny, and encouraging. They have been so welcoming and kind, and it has already been a great year. Our new coach Dayle is also an amazing coach and is definitely going to make us way better!”