Bump!… Set!… Spike!

Evan Larson, an 18-year-old student athlete, has her future in the palm of her hands.

Since age 15, Larson has dedicated her day-by-day routine to volleyball. She played on the Bishop Blanchet Junior Varsity team and was an outstanding player, on and off the court. Now that she has completed her senior season, she is on a select team called Sudden Impact Volleyball Club.

There has not been a moment that she has given up the sport, not even briefly. Though, she has had a few thoughts about quitting the sport overall, the constant reminder that “you can always do better”, has gotten her through that.

Larson, being the athletic BBHS senior she is, plays softball alongside volleyball. The main struggle she faces is the huge difference between the two sports. Switching off between being a middle-blocker, hitting overhand, and a pitcher, throwing underhand, is quite the change. Her life is always in the fast lane, sometimes causing her practices to clash.

Being a student-athlete, Larson admits that it is indeed hard to balance school and sports and that she saw it become much harder this year. Many different colleges and coaches are constantly looking at her to play next year, which means she has to keep up her grades as well as her volleyball skills. Some of the schools looking at Larson include Western Oregon University, Drury University, and Western Washington University. She has done many school visits and finds that her number one choice right now is Western Oregon University. Her process of attracting the coaches was a process that she describes as being more “natural”.

“Some of it came through my select team, Sudden Impact,” said Larson.

With tournaments just about every week, how could she not catch the eye of these coaches?

As far as pre-game rituals go, she almost always listens to music, eats a healthy meal, and drinks lots of water. She practices four times a week, including weight lifting. Also, with softball season just beginning, she has practices everyday. This means that on some days, she leaves the house at 6:00 A.M. and doesn’t return back until 10:00 P.M. What a hectic life!

Overall, Larson says that her favorite part of it all is the “intensity and competitive spirit.”

“Evan is one of the most passionate and hardworking teammates ever. She’s a great leader who really cares for her team. She pushes me and our team to do our very best every time we step onto the court,” said Julia Oishi, former BBHS teammate of Larson’s.

Evan Larson is definitely one to keep a close eye on! Keep up the good work!