Michael Hayes

Michael Hayes, a well-known basketball player from recent years, is currently playing basketball as a sophomore at Las Positas. He chose to go to Las Positas because it is close to home and not a hard commute. The main difference he notices between college and high school sports is that his team “actually [wants] to be there, work and get better everyday.” Although he loves traveling, he regrets not taking his sport more seriously when he was in high school. His advice to aspiring basketball players is to “stay on top, never get down or lose hope in yourself and to stay on top of grades.”

Vanna Marquez

Vanna Marquez was a West High volleyball player for four years. At the end of her high school journey, she decided to attend Dominican University because of the competitive conference the school is in and her major, Biology. She likes how in college “the team has a collective goal to work hard everyday to become better athletes.” She enjoys traveling with her team and has visited Southern California and Hawaii. Her biggest obstacle from transitioning to college has been to find a unique balance between school, sports and a social life. Her advice to upcoming volleyball stars is to “make sure you have good time management skills.”

Shantel Nnaji

Shantel is currently a thrower for Sacramento State. Nnaji chose to attend this school because of their renowned kinesiology program and graduate physical therapy program. One of the main differences from high school she noticed is that in college, her practice schedule was “definitely more structured than it was in high school.” Nnaji loves meeting athletes like her and her experience from travelling with her team. One of the biggest obstacles she’s faced in college was how much tougher her training became. Her advice to potential throwers is to choose a college that will not only help you athletically, but “grow as a student and person.”