Bang! The volleyball viciously slammed against the hardwood floor. The crowd erupted in cheers, and the scoreboard shifted. Although they were losing, the Cy Springs freshman A volleyball team were playing wonderfully. Zhamani Ogunsun was having fun alongside her teammates—but unfortunately that would be the last game she would play in as a freshman.
A 14 year old girl filled with passion—that’s exactly how anyone would describe her. A girl born in Houston Texas, who realized her love for volleyball. Before she started playing volleyball—she would watch female college players in awe as they played.
After watching these players, Ogunsun was incredibly inspired and she tried out for her middle school’s 7th grade volleyball team and she made it. As the coaches announced which team each player would be on, it was revealed that she made her school’s volleyball B team.
She played well in 7th grade and her team won all of their zone games, and this gave her determination to improve. She joined a volleyball club team the summer before 8th grade. Ogunsun’s drive and hard work proved to be worth it as she was promoted to A team the following school year. She put in extra practice and improved her skills which made her love for the sport grow even stronger.
Over the summer, Ogunsun continued to play for her club team and this year made Cy-Springs’ freshman A team. She worked incredibly hard and her improvement helped her and her team. She spent most of her free time practicing volleyball—twice a week on a court and she conditioned three times a week, including working in the Cy-Springs weight room.
She did not put in all of this work just because she loves volleyball but also because she wants to get a scholarship from the sport as well, specifically so she can go to Baylor, a prestigious university.
“Volleyball has taught me teamwork, it has taught me how to communicate, it has helped me make friends, and it has helped me develop good sportsmanship,” Ogunsun said.
However, volleyball is not the only sport she plays. She participates in track and field as a thrower. Thanks to her strength from working out and conditioning for volleyball, she has placed on the podium many times against other schools.
She hopes that her athleticism will not only keep her healthy, but will help her get scholarships from colleges as well, as she is not only athletic; but intelligent. In middle school, she managed to get the HR award during 7th grade—and in high school, she managed to get into college academy.
Ogunsun also has goals outside of volleyball; her true goal is to get into Baylor through volleyball, and to reach her dream of becoming an anesthesiologist. In order to reach this goal, she hopes to get straight A’s throughout all four years of high school and to ultimately get her associates degree in science; so she could be a successful person economically and socially.
This life obviously is not easy and Ogunsun had moments where she wanted to quit but her family and friends kept her motivated to keep going and to try her best every time she played.
Suddenly, the audience roared, and their cheers echoed around the gym—yet the sound was distorted for the players. She and her team were playing incredibly well, but this would be the last game she would play in for the rest of the season. Ogunsun suffered an injured and her freshman volleyball season was brought to an abrupt end. She hopes the sound of the blaring crowd will soon fill her ears once again for now she will hold on to the memories.
