This week’s athlete of the week is softball player and junior in nursing Hope White.  

White has been in the Pittsburg State softball program for three years.  

“I decided to play in college because I fell in love with volleyball,” White said. “I had a lot of great coaches that helped develop me as an athlete and show me how far I could go with this sport. Once I found Pitt State and met the coaching staff, I knew this is where I wanted to play.” 

White began playing volleyball as a freshman in high school and continued the sport throughout the rest of high school.  

“I like that volleyball is a very fast paced game, high energy game and is very much team driven,” White said. “You need every single one of your teammates to win a game. I also like that volleyball is a very athletic game and each position has a wide variety of skills that they perform.”  

White also participated in other sports, such as soccer, gymnastics, and track.  

“Growing up, I was always active,” White said. “…Being able to play all these sports throughout the years means a lot to me. They taught me how to be an athlete and set me up well with the dedication and skills needed to be able to be successful at the college level.”  

Having the opportunity to play volleyball in college was the biggest accomplishment of White’s athletic career.  

“…I put in so much work to get recruited and earn a scholarship during high school and was very proud of myself for accomplishing that,” White said.  

After college, White hopes to become an NICU nurse in Kansas City.   

“My parents have definitely been my biggest supporters by far throughout my athletic career,” White said. “They have not only financially supported me, but they also physically and emotionally supported me through all of it. They drove for hours to watch games and take me to tournaments to sit and watch days of volleyball. They help me balance life and sports. They spent hours with me off the court practicing even more at home. They always believed in me and I couldn’t have done any of it without them.”  

In 2019, White started six of 24 games, averaging 1.41 kills and 0.31 blocks per set. In 2018, White started in four of ten games, averaged 1.73 kills and 0.50 blocks per set. In high school, White was a three-time All-Conference and two-time All-District athlete.  

“Balancing school with sports can be difficult,” White said. “It takes being very proactive about your schedule. You have to be on top of all that is required of you and be able to communicate timely and effectively. I have a lot of communication with my coaches and my professors as early as possible in the beginning of the semester and throughout as things change. I am lucky with coaches and professors that try to help me as much as they can.”