Time Out! Ep. 27: Kiana Mark

SC: Hi, I’m Sagnik.

ET: And I’m Eshika. Welcome to Episode 27 of Time Out!

SC: Each episode, we will be exploring the journeys of various athletes here at Monta Vista High School.

ET: In this episode, we are with senior Kiana Mark, who is a captain on the Varsity Girls Volleyball team.

SC: How and when did you start volleyball?

KM: I started volleyball when I was in third grade, and I was always taller when I was younger, so that’s a reason why. I also used to play tennis before, and I absolutely hated it. My parents were like you have to do a sport, so I chose to do volleyball. I went to a clinic, and they invited me to join their 11s team because they were short a few players.

SC: Do you think playing sports affects your academic performance? And if so, how?

KM: I feel like it does, but honestly, I think it makes it better in a way. Since I’ve been playing a sport for 10 years, my time management has gotten really good. I plan out when I’ll do everything to make sure I have enough time in my day to do all of my homework, go to practice, and get eight to nine hours of sleep.

ET: How does your training vary between your  week?

KM: Right now, I’m in high school season, so we have practice every day from 4:30 to 6:30. If we don’t have practice, we have a game. This week, we have a game on Monday and Wednesday. On the weekends, I normally don’t do anything on Saturday, but on Sunday, I have a workout.

SC: What goals do you have for volleyball in the future?

KM: Well, I verbally committed to play for UC Santa Cruz. I’m really excited to play with a new team at a higher level.

ET: You recently announced your verbal commitment to UCSC. Could you describe the process behind making that decision?

KM: It was a pretty long recruiting process. I feel like I started sending out emails when I was in ninth grade, and I went to a lot of camps, collegiate combine camps, where I would meet a bunch of college coaches and get to work with them and they would also explain a bit about their schools. Afterwards, I would choose some of my favorite coaches from the camp, email them more and set up calls with them.

SC: What was it like emotionally making the decision to commit to a college?

KM: It was really exciting because ever since I was really little, like in middle school, I’ve always wanted to play in college. I would just used to look up to the older girls in my club and see them commit to schools, and I wanted to continue playing volleyball because I know I love it so much. I thought it was really exciting. I was also a little nervous too just because I’ve been committing to something for four years, but I really liked the coach and the girls I met on my visit.

ET: What is something you’ve learned while playing volleyball?

KM: I’ve learned a lot of team working and communication skills since volleyball is a team sport. I’m always working with the girls on my team, communicating on the court and off the court.

SC: How would you say your team supports you or influences you?

KM: You have to have a lot of trust in your teammates. So like as the season goes on just having trust and confidence in each other is a big thing. I try to really emphasize that especially on the school volleyball team because a lot of them are underclassmen or new to the Varsity team. So just like being able to put confidence in them and them having trust in me, and me having trust in them, that’s like a big part of it.

ET: How does your family support and inspire you?

KM: My parents are my two biggest fans. They are always willing to help me pursue anything. If I need a little bit of extra training or private lessons, they’ll always get that for me. They constantly send me volleyball reels on how to get better on Instagram. They also travel with me to away tournaments and cheer me on at all my games. Whenever I’m feeling sad, I can always look to them.

ET: It’s your senior year now and you’ve been on the volleyball team for a long time. Can you reflect on some highs and lows during your high school volleyball career?

KM: Freshman year was a big year because we made it to the Division I CCS Championship. It was the first time in a long time that we had gotten that far, and we also qualified for NorCal, which was a first for Monta Vista Girls Volleyball. That was a high, but a low was losing the championship, which made me sad. Still, it was amazing to get that far. Half way into my junior season, I sprained my ankle halfway through the season, which was a big low, but I did a lot of physical therapy, and now my senior year is going really well so far.

ET: You recently hit 1,000 kills. What does this mean to you and your journey in volleyball?

KM: It’s amazing, especially since I achieved it during my senior year. It feels like a full-cycle moment. Reflecting on the thousand kills is cool because I got them over all four years — freshman, sophomore, junior, and now to get it this year it’s really cool. It’s a great way to see my growth as a player.

SC: Looking at where you are now, what would you say to your freshman self who was just starting their high school career in volleyball?

KM: I would say to always have fun and not let stats or wins and losses get to you mentally. That’s something every athlete will always struggle with, and I definitely had my fair share of struggles with that mentally. So, never forgetting that the game is supposed to be fun, not just for stats or wins and stuff like that.

ET: That’s it for Episode 27 of Time Out! Thank you to Kiana for joining us today. I’m Eshika.

SC: And I’m Sagnik and thanks for tuning in.

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