Alli Pooré is one of two team captains on the 2015 San Lorenzo Valley girls volleyball team. Alli was nominated by her teammates for her strong sense of leadership and sportsmanship skills she shows both on and off the court.
Alli credits her teammates for getting her into the sport of volleyball. Her volleyball career began in eighth grade and that is when she fell in love with the sport. Now as a Senior, Alli has played in her final game as a Cougar.
Through each year, Alli practiced hard and became one of the most well-rounded players on the court. While many of her teammates look up to her, Alli looks up to her coach, Ashley Tennant. One of the life lessons that stands out most from Coach Tennant is that “she wants us to learn more about life through volleyball.”
Alli feels as though this year has been the best. The team did not go through many rough patches and Pooré said, “The season was a lot of fun and I got to know the team better.” The freshman on the team seemed to boost her spirits. Alli says, “Being on varsity, sometimes you have a sense of seniority over the younger players, but having the three freshman on our team made us more diverse and equal.”
Alli explained that volleyball is very fun for her. Volleyball is a highly intense activity and that is one of the biggest things that draws Alli to the sport. She also really enjoys the close-knit team aspect of the game. On the court, her favorite thing is going for and getting the kill! On the flip side, the part of the sport that she has the most difficulty with is when free balls drop and her team is caught flat footed. She hates seeing a ball drop!
“The hardest part of being an athlete is learning time management,” Pooré explains. Finding time to get homework done and all her studying in after games or practices isn’t always the easiest, but Alli has stayed focused and has managed to find a way to keep both sports and academics in her schedule.
While sports have been a big part of Alli’s high school life, she doesn’t necessarily see sports as being a big part of her future school life. Alli can see herself playing intramurals in college but doesn’t see her involvement going beyond that. Playing intramurals will help her stay active and will also keep her connected to the sports she loves, just in a less competitive manner.
Along with being a great athlete, Alli is a talented artist. She enjoys Studio Art and cake decorating. After graduation, Alli would like to go to a four year college and would like to major in Studio Art. One thing is for sure, no matter what she chooses, Alli will do great things!
By Courtney Carter
The Claw 