Eliza Zachary was named to the CAA All-Roomie team. Photo courtesy of Georgia State Athletics.
The Signal recently had a chance to interview freshman volleyball player, Eliza Zachary.
Here is what the CAA All-Rookie team member had to say.
Eliza Zachary was named to the CAA All-Roomie team. Photo courtesy of Georgia State Athletics.
The Signal- How did you find out that you were named to the CAA All-Rookie team this season? Who told you, where were you when you found out, your initial thoughts about making the team?
Eliza Zachary- When I found out that I made the CAA-All-Rookie team me and my team were finishing practice, but it was the first team practice I was not allowed to participate in because I had gone to the doctors a week before and found out that I had a stress fracture in my right foot. The person who told me was Liz Schuyler our volleyball coordinator, who had received a text from my head coach Tami Audia who was at home with her sick daughter that day. My initial thoughts were confusion, I defiantly thought that a lot of girls on my team should have received credit for their hard work. I could have never received the honor of being named on the All-Rookie team without such an amazing team that supports each other and pushes each other to do their best on and off the court.
TS-What do you do in the offseason to stay in volleyball shape?
EZ- Well right now with my foot injury I can only do upper body work outs and core work outs. My team and I work out with our strength and conditioning coach Mel Schmitz five days a week; weights three days a week and conditioning three days a week. As of right now my main goal of staying in shape is to rehab my foot so that I can be back out on the court with my team and be able to focus on becoming stronger and faster.
TS- What made you pick Georgia State?
EZ- I chose to come to Georgia State for a lot of different reasons. On my unofficial visit to Georgia State I fell in love with the city of Atlanta the second I stepped off the plane. The main reason I came here was because of the coaches and their determination to rebuild the volleyball program. My head Tami Audia is the type of coach that truly cares about each of her players. So when I got to meet her in person I knew with in five minuets of talking with her and my assistant coach Kelly Audia that I wanted to play for them. Later I got to meet the rest of the coaching staff like Dun Hahn and Liz Schuyler. When I committed to GSU each girl on the team even some of the girls that I would not even play with congratulated me and made me feel welcomed to the GSU volleyball family!
TS-What do you miss most about Minnesota (other than friends and family) and why?
EZ- Well it is a tie. I definitely miss seeing lots and lots of snow in the winter! Even though seven months of winter is a little too long for me. The other thing I miss most are the lakes, ever where you go in Minnesota there is always a lake. Now I know it sounds silly but when you grow up where you can’t even go a mile with out a body of water you get used to playing games out on the ice in the winter, or ice skating, or swimming and fishing in the summer.
TS-Favorite athlete and why?
EZ- The athlete that I look up to most is Danielle Scott-Arruda. She plays on the USA Women’s National Volleyball team. She recently played in the 2012 Olympics and she is forty years old! She is my idol because she has been on the USA National Volleyball team since 1994. She inspires me to follow my dreams to someday try out for the National team and play professionally either here in the US or overseas.
TS- Who is the smartest person on the volleyball team and why?
EZ- In my opinion I would say that it is a tie between Sydney Hunsley and Dede Bohannon. They both are the two people that I go to when I am super confused about school work, especially studying for science classes.
TS- What is your favorite volleyball slang term and what does it mean?
EZ- Shag, it means to go pick up all the balls in the gym. I don’t necessarily like doing it, but it’s a fun word.
TS-Favorite holiday and why?
EZ- Well other than Christmas, my favorite holiday is Memorial Day because each year we go up to Northern Minnesota to my aunt’s cabin to go boating, inter tubing, swimming, and fishing in the lake.
