Junior Olivia Paxton committed to San Jose State University to continue her career in beach volleyball on April 14. Paxton has played varsity volleyball for SVHS her entire high school career, and spectators often wondered and anticipated where she would end up continuing her athletic pursuits. 

The summer going into 6th grade, Paxton began her journey of athleticism in both regular volleyball and beach volleyball. She shares that the sport “just clicked,” and that playing in college “has always been the dream.” The process of reaching her full potential took long hours of practice, tournaments on weekends, and extreme levels of perseverance. 

San Jose State University was among several options for Paxton, including Saint Mary’s, UC Davis, and Bakersfield. In the end, she chose San Jose for its “coaches, the team culture, the broad spectrum of majors, and the resources for student-athletes.” Additionally, Paxton is ecstatic to join San Jose’s team of other hard-working athletes who are just as committed as she is, and to have “immediate friendships.” 

She elaborated on the recruitment process and how it was “so stressful but so exciting.” In her experience, beach volleyball requires going to camps for the schools she is interested in, which requires a fair amount of money and time. 

Paxton expressed her immense gratitude for her support system which consisted of “family, coach Daryl, friends, and [her] teammates.” Even though the process put an abundant amount of pressure on her shoulders, these people in her life continued to encourage Paxton to push forward toward reaching her goals. 

Finally, she gives a piece of advice for any other student-athletes who are going through the recruitment process. “Email everyone,” she continues, “and cast your net as big as possible.” Moreover, she adds to not “dwell on not getting a response.” As a junior, Paxton is among a small percentage of athletes who have committed, and she is determined to continue her dedication to the sport.