August 22, 2023

We’re proud to be a part of an ongoing partnership with Dick’s Sporting Goods, which is sponsoring our Player of the Week award. We’ll be releasing a featured vballrecruiter.com Player of the Week, sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, on Tuesdays. Below is this week’s Player of the Week: Addison Pollock. *** Volleyball was never a given for Addison Pollock. She tended to follow her older brother, Jack, and his athletic path. She started soccer at 4 because he played soccer. When Jack took up tennis it wasn’t too long before she found herself playing it too. There was also basketball. “That was short lived,” said Pollock, who is entering her junior year at Ransom Everglades high school in Miami. “I wasn’t that good, so I went back to soccer. I played club soccer for maybe seven years.” She eventually grew tired of playing club soccer and switched back to tennis. It wasn’t until the end of fifth grade was nearing when volleyball finally entered the picture. It’s the sport that has stuck for Pollock. “When I tried out for volleyball I maybe had touched a volleyball once or twice in my life,” she said. “I tried so hard to get my serve over the net. I ended up making the team. That’s when I decided to play club volleyball. “The team was really fun and really cheery. It’s a sport that always has lots of energy. Tennis is a lonely sport. You are on the court by yourself. It was something new after also doing soccer for so long. It was also really hot outside and maybe the air conditioning drew me toward it. Making the team when I tried out having not played before also gave me a confidence boost. I definitely liked the team aspect like soccer but the energy in volleyball is unmatched by any other sport.” The competitive side of Pollock was always there. She said it doesn’t necessarily show up with school and her friends, but when it comes to sports or family activities watch out because her parents and brother are all alike in that regard. “People like to ask if I love to win or hate to lose,” Pollock said. “I find that to be a really hard question. I really hate to lose but with winning you get bragging rights. But the losing feeling stings. I’m naturally competitive but sports brings that out even more. I’m competitive in every aspect. If I’m running a mile for school or for volleyball, I don’t like to be last in anything.” With Pollock’s high school season beginning this week, she’ll get to bring that competitive fire to the Ransom lineup. She led her team in digs last season as a sophomore, averaging 3.3 per set. She also finished third on the team in aces. With a new head coach and other girls on the roster who also play club volleyball, Pollock is excited for the fall season. “My high school is very rigorous academically,” she said. “Sports are not the priority but we are still pretty good. We have a new coach this year and I’m excited for that. I like getting to meet the older and younger players and building a culture in and out of the classroom.” As for next club season, Pollock is also really looking forward to that too. She is joining a new club and will suit up for Wildfire. “Club is about building a culture too, it’s just more competitive than high school,” she said. “I like them both but in different ways.” While sports and now mostly volleyball have been a featured part of her life growing up, Pollock also enjoys painting. She describes herself as a “pretty extroverted person” and she loves the release that painting offers. “I took studio art this past year in school,” she said. “I used to be a creative person. I like writing and when I would hang out with my friends I would ask my mom to get us crafts for us to do. Taking studio art and receiving actual instruction made me want to keep painting when I came home. To be able to get away from the academics and give my mind a break for a while is really nice.” As our featured Player of the Week sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, we recently spoke with Pollock about volleyball and more. Who is your role model or icon you look up to? Pollock: My parents are my biggest role models. They support me no matter what it is whether it’s with school, sports or all my hobbies. Everything I do they are always there. At the end of the day they are my best friends. They always travel with me with volleyball. They are always there if I need to talk or tell them anything about my day. They are so caring and selfless and are really good people all over. I want to be like them. What is your favorite food? Pollock: It’s probably hamburgers. That is my thing. Also, ice cream. We have a thing where we get ice cream in every single city we go to for camps or tournaments. It’s something my parents and I do. For hamburgers, I like thin patties. I went to a few camps in California and I had In’N’Out. That was one of the best burgers I’ve had. If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would it be and why? Pollock: I would probably take a bunch of friends to the beach and just do whatever we want. We could play volleyball or read or go in the water. That’s honestly what I would do. I love my friends and I love the beach. I love the sun. Even though I do it often, that’s what I would want to do and we could just stay there all day, like 12 or 13 hours. Aside from necessities, what is one thing you could not go