Bellbrook alum, volleyball player Sara Rogers excels at Case Western Reserve University
CLEVELAND — Growing up in Bellbrook, Sara Rogers competed in volleyball, soccer, and basketball. She also took dance lessons at Bellbrook Dance Academy from age 2 to 12. In eighth grade, she decided to focus her efforts on volleyball.
She has just finished her senior season as a team captain and setter with the Case Western Reserve Volleyball team. The team did fairly well in regular season play, including defeating the number 4 ranked team in the country in their division. They also were victorious against Carnegie Mellon and Washington University which are also extremely competitive teams. They also placed 6th at the UAA conference championships.
Sara was introduced to the sport of volleyball at a young age. Her older sister, Becca played and then Sara began playing in 4th grade through the Wee Eagles program and began playing club ball in 6th grade. She played for Bellbrook through middle school and High school in addition to continuing club volleyball through high school. 鈥淥nce I started playing volleyball, I never wanted to stop, and I loved the competitiveness.鈥�
The regular season for collegiate volleyball is from August through November. During the season, Sara practices 2 to 3 hours per day with her team and does strength training several times per week. During the off-season, Sara increases strength training and includes open gym time to keep improving her volleyball skills. There is a short 4-week spring season. This schedule allows the team to compete at a high level from preseason to post-season tournament play.
Sara mentally prepares for competition by focusing solely on volleyball. She separates her academic and athletic responsibilities and concentrates on what she needs to prioritize at that moment.
As a sophomore, Sara experienced disappointment. She was finishing a successful season at Bellbrook High School and was looking forward to her club season when she received an email saying that she had been cut from the top team and placed on a lower team. She was devastated as she thought she had lost her chance to be recruited to play in college. This motivated her to push herself to improve her skills over the next two years. She was determined to achieve her dream of playing volleyball in college. She was asked to rejoin the top team at her club and was recruited by Case Western Reserve.
Sara says that her family has been her biggest supporter. Her sister, Becca, introduced her to volleyball. Her parents have believed in her abilities since the beginning and helped her through difficult times. Mom Beth has attended every game of Sara鈥檚 collegiate career. 鈥淚 can always count on her being in the stands cheering on the team.鈥�
Sara has maintained a 4.0 GPA while pursuing her pre-med Biology degree. In addition, to her rigorous academic schedule, she works as a patient care nursing assistant at Cleveland Clinic, does research in Thomas Kelley鈥檚 Cystic Fibrosis lab, and serves as the Philanthropy Chairwoman for her sorority. Sara says that this experience has helped her develop a passionate work ethic, as well as the ability to work well under pressure. She plans to attend medical school and hopes to pursue a career in medicine.
This is an unedited user writing submission. The views, information, or opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Best Version Media or its employees.