15 minutes had passed since the phone was supposed to ring. At 12:15 p.m., junior Kylee Mark sat alone in her bedroom and restlessly fiddled with her fingers, repeatedly glancing at her desk. In her nervous fit, Kylee lunged for her phone, texting the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo representative, “Am I supposed to call you?” After deciding on a 12:30 p.m. phone call with the recruiter, Kylee’s anxiety skyrocketed, and she was convinced she wouldn’t receive the Division I offer. As the minute hand passed the half-hour mark, the light from the phone illuminated the murky room. The ringtone sounded — the moment had arrived.

Picking the phone up with trembling hands, jubilation took over as she received the long-awaited news, leaving her in disbelief and excitement. She had just been made an offer to officially play at Cal Poly SLO for D1 volleyball. A dream she had struggled with in the past was now right in front of her, and all her hard work and countless hours had paid off.

Kylee’s career immediately began to flash through her mind. Her journey towards getting recruited for colleges began in her freshman year, when she would send highlights from recent games out to colleges. Following NCAA college recruiting protocol, colleges were only permitted to initiate contact with Kylee on June 15, after her sophomore year of high school. This summer, Kylee participated in two “ID camps” for Cal Poly SLO, where she and another prospect were asked to showcase their volleyball skills to compete for the offer. After participating, Kylee felt as if her performance was inadequate and was uncertain about her chances of committing.

“When I got my offer, I was super excited and happy, because I obviously wasn’t expecting it,” Kylee said. “I was up against another girl, so hearing that they chose me was really rewarding.”

According to Tyler Rigg, one of Kylee’s coaches at her current club, Mountain View Volleyball Club, Kylee’s position as setter is one of the most sought out positions for collegiate teams, as it is valuable in the sport due to immense pressure and extensive decision-making on every point. Rigg believes that to combat the pressure, it is essential for athletes to have a supportive and welcoming environment.

“Our hope for Kylee is that she finds a comfortable situation with her team, where she’s excited to be in the gym with her teammates and a space where she’s able to compete at her best,” Rigg said. “But I think if you put too much pressure on the situation, nothing good will come from it.”

According to Kylee, her self-esteem within volleyball was at an all-time low due to the tough nature of her old club, which made volleyball an emotional topic for her. She recalls having to take a lot of criticism disguised as “tough love”, which left her dejected and discouraged her from playing. 

“I lost all my confidence in myself playing volleyball,” Kylee said. “I lost a lot of my love for the sport and playing felt more like a chore rather than something I wanted to do.”

During this period of self-doubt, Kylee’s father, Robert Mark, remembers a conversation he had with Kylee after a tournament she played in with her previous club. Although the team had placed third overall, Kylee didn’t play a major role — she only came off the bench in games for her serve. 

“I asked her, ‘Hey, did you enjoy that? Did you like being a part of that success, even though it was a small part? Or would you rather just be somewhere where you’re on the court all the time?’” Robert said. “She’s like, ‘Dad, I just want to play.’”

After this conversation, Robert began looking for other clubs that needed a setter and eventually decided on MVVC last summer. Kylee says she found her new club more welcoming and supportive, allowing her to open up in a vulnerable conversation she had with Rigg, in which she admitted her uncertainty about pursuing volleyball at the collegiate level. 

“I didn’t want to continue playing,” Kylee said. “I didn’t think I could play D1 anywhere. I just started crying. I honestly barely cry so I felt so confused. If I never had talked to him about it, I don’t think I would have told anyone I want to even pursue anything.”

Rigg says the coaches at MVVC helped develop Kylee’s confidence throughout the season and believes the difference in coaching practices from her past club — one of the more popular teams in the Bay Area — to her new one was necessary to her development and success. He preaches the importance of making athletes feel secure through reassurance and encouragement as opposed to putting them in excruciating conditions where they may falter. He also believes that athletes should have opportunities where they can open up to their coaches and teammates, which once Kylee made the choice to, ended up reigniting her drive to play.

For Kylee, this conversation marked the beginning of her success and the return of her passion for the sport. Robert recalls watching Kylee’s first tournament with MVVC and receiving numerous messages from friends who were stunned by her performances and the amount of confidence that Kylee radiated. 

“I’ve never seen Kylee play with this much confidence ever,” Robert said. “She was taking a lot of risks as to where in her previous club she kind of came in and was playing scared and timid and playing not to make mistakes versus trying to get aggressive and win that game. I didn’t recognize that kid playing and that was a breath of fresh air to see.”

With her performances and talent attracting the attention of various colleges, Kylee says she really only considered Cal Poly SLO when taking a look at collegiate offers. According to Robert, Kylee has been interested in architecture from an early age and had noted Cal Poly SLO due to their rigorous architecture program at a time when volleyball wasn’t in the picture. Kylee says she plans to major in and study architecture alongside her volleyball career. 

“San Luis Obispo is known for being a college town, which I love,” Kylee said. “Once I got my offer, I was pretty set on committing right away, because all the other schools I was talking to were definitely not my first choice. I’m worried about balancing volleyball in school, because I know it can be really stressful, and because Cal Poly is really competitive in architecture.”

Robert has seen many student athletes following her example of leaving her past club and finding new opportunities elsewhere at clubs such as MVVC. To Kylee, her struggles with self-confidence and her eventual triumph serve as an example to her peers to find an environment conducive to success.

“I think it’s just great to show people that you don’t have to play at a specific club to get recruited,” Kylee said. “If I didn’t switch clubs, I don’t think I would have even thought about playing in college, but I kept pushing myself and gained my love for the sport again.”