By DeAnna Briton, Staff Writer
Before every game, Monica Knight, the senior captain of the volleyball team, closes her eyes and visualizes the game for five minutes. Then, she leads her team onto the court and works her hardest to make sure those visions come true.
There was no question as to whether Knight would play volleyball in college or not, “it was a childhood dream,” she said. And one that came true.
Knight has been playing volleyball since 6th grade. She is from South Lake Tahoe, California and attended Douglas High School in Nevada. During her junior and senior year, she led Douglas to back-to-back Sierra League championships. Knight is a three-time first team All-Sierra selection in volleyball and was named to the All-Northern Nevada volleyball first team when she was a senior. She also played basketball for all four years of high school. She chose to remain faithful to volleyball because “I just enjoy playing volleyball a lot more. I thought I was better at it,” Knight said.
While Knight was on a recruiting trip to Hofstra, she realized that this was the right place for her to be; she met the team and found herself at home. “I’m from a small town. I wanted to do something bigger and better,” she said. She is doing just that.
Last year, Knight, who is the outside hitter, played in every 123 sets in all 32 matches. She was ranked third on the team with 312 kills, had her personal best 22 digs against William and Mary during the CAA Championship and was ranked ninth in CAA in serving aces. There is no wonder as to why Knight is able to achieve what she has, “I’m inspired to be the best; I work hard in practice every day,” she said.
According to the head volleyball coach, Kristina Hernandez, Knight “brings a lot of experience to the team. She’s a primary passer, one of our best defenders, and is leading the team in kills. She plays a very vital role in our success.” One unique thing about Knight is “her ability to run quicks out of the backrow. (We call them bics). It’s a set that’s used more in the men’s game because of how quick they are but Monica has that ability to run them effectively at the right tempo. It’s fun to watch,” Hernandez adds.
Volleyball has taught Knight valuable things. Her time at Hofstra she has learned work ethics and leadership roles. “You can never really give up, even when you hit a bump in the road. You just have to keep going,” she said. Being a captain, “you can’t take a day off. Everyone looks up to you to do your best. You have to be emotionally stable.”
The team so far this season is 5-13 and 1-2 in the conference. However, the Pride still has many conference games coming up within the next month. As the team prepares for the road ahead, Knight adds, “We have to think every day in practice and figure out how to score. We have to focus; we can’t just go through the motions.”