Senior Sports Spotlight: Sophia Camacho

As a senior here at Valencia High School, this is Sophia Camacho’s fourth year as a part of the Valencia Girls Volleyball Program. Some of Sophia’s hobbies besides volleyball include reading in her free time, going to the gym, and hanging out with her friends. She loves pasta, the movie “Ten Things I Hate About You,” the show “Gossip Girl,” and New York City. She has had various memorable experiences, and she has a lot to share about her time in the volleyball program and at Valencia in general.

Q: How long have you played this sport, and what inspired you to start?

A: I have been playing Volleyball since 8th grade, which was around the time when Covid hit. Due to this, freshman year of volleyball was in masks and sister bonding was in the park. What inspired me to start playing was that I wanted to get into a sport that I would love. I swam for a year but I got tired of it, so I started club volleyball.

Q: What position do you play, and why do you enjoy it?

A: I play Libero/DS (defensive specialist) and I enjoy it because I get to pass and I love passing defensively because it’s very satisfying being able to dig a ball. I love when I’m able to make good plays and help hitters get good hits.

Q: What lessons has playing this sport taught you?

A: I have learned many lessons from this sport. Playing volleyball is a game about your mindset. When I used to mess up once, I would get in my head and it wouldn’t result in good plays. If you move on from the one mistake and not focus on the negatives, you will ultimately play better. Another lesson I learned is that confidence is key in playing. I used to not be confident and when I would get criticism I would take it personally. What I learned is to be confident enough that you can beat a team if you have the motivational drive to. Lastly, and most importantly, is that failure is a part of the game and life. Instead of letting failure defeat you, it helps you learn from experience and become a better and stronger person. Just play to have fun, time goes by fast.

Q: Are you planning to continue this sport in the future?

A: I am still undecided, but I might play at College of the Canyons.

Q: What has your favorite moment/achievement been in your athletic career?

A: One of my favorite moments achieved in volleyball is going to the JV tournament with my team. Valencia 1 made it to the finals and we placed second. We had lost to San Marcos by 2 points. Although we lost, I learned a lot and I was still so proud that my team made it that far.

Q: What is the most challenging part of playing this sport?

A: The most challenging part of playing this sport is getting in your head. I periodically get into ruts where one day I’ll pass really well, and the next day my passing won’t be good. I especially get in my head as a passer because the passes have to at least be a 2 or 3 for the setter to get a good set. My passing has usually been on and off where I’ll have good and bad days. This is the worst because I lose some confidence when I know I’m good and I could play well throughout the game. Another challenging thing was playing libero full time every year, then my varsity year getting passed up by another libero and only playing DS. However, since it’s my last year of high school, I learned to make the most of it even though I may not get to start.

Q: Who is the most inspirational person in your life (or someone who inspires you)?

A: Someone recent who inspires me is Madisen Skinner (she plays for the volleyball team at University of Texas). She played in Third Team All American and was made offensive player of the week. When I watch Texas’ matches, she sticks out to me because of her great passing and hitting. She inspires me to play at a higher standard.

Q: What are your plans after high school?

A: After high school I plan to go to College of the Canyons for 2 years then transfer to San Diego for 2 more years. I plan to major in either Psychology or in Medicine.

Q: If you had 25 hours in a day, what would you do with the extra hour?

A: If I had an extra hour in a day I would go to the Santa Monica beach with my friends or go to a swap meet.