Eighth grader Zarey Hooten is only a two-year volleyball player.

Hooten has never played anything else and she said her sister influenced her to give it a try.

“I used to play with my sister and it made me want to give it a try,” she said. “I really like being competitive and it is an all-around battle. It gets me hype when we when or when I or my teammates does something awesome.”

Hooten feels confident in certain aspects of her game, but knows where she still needs to improve on.

“Serving and hitting are the best things about my game,” she said. “I can hit the ball hard and I can usually hit the ball over the net every time I serve. Hitting is one of my strengths, but I would also say it is one of my weakness. I want to get stronger and learn new techniques.”

Wooten said her family motivates her to be successful on the court and in the classroom.

“My family and friends are everything to me,” she said. “They all tell me to do my best and that is all it takes for me to go out there and do it.”