Normally when a freshman starts on the varsity team, the player is nervous and anxious, unsure of what to do. Of course it always helps to have an older sister there to lead the way.
Laguna Beach (Calif.) senior volleyball standout
Allison Palmer had just that situation when she stepped onto the court her freshman year for the Breakers. Her sister, Alexandra, was the team's setter and best player.
Allison Palmer, Laguna Beach
Photo by Heston Quan
"It was so exciting," said Palmer. "I was libero because my sister was the setter. We couldn't stop smiling at each other on the court because we had never played on the same team. I loved being her teammate. I wasn't nervous because I knew my role and I felt confident."
Fast forward to her senior year and it is now Palmer who is leading the way for the Breakers, possibly to a CIF Southern Section Division II championship.
"Our team is working hard to be CIF champions," she said. "We have great chemistry and talented athletes who want to win. Our ball control and competitive nature will make us tough to beat."
The Breakers reached the CIF Division II semifinals last year and are off to a good start in 2011 with a second-place finish behind Dos Pueblos at the Queens of the Court Preseason Tournament.
Palmer paced the team last year as a setter, registering 763 assists with 189 digs and 66 aces. Her abilities also landed her a spot on the USA Youth National Team, which competed in Turkey over the summer. Palmer, however, is a veteran of international competition.
"My most memorable moment is winning the Junior Olympics and also winning the gold medal at the NORCECA Tournament in Guatemala last year," she said.
Palmer currently works with an athletic trainer to improve her footwork and fundamentals.
"Repetition is the best advice for young players," said Palmer. "You need to work hard in every practice."
A fan of Karch Kiraly, Paula Weishoff, Wiz McCutcheon and Misty May, Palmer has also been very active in beach volleyball over the years. However she has especially enjoyed her time playing for the Breakers.
"The best thing about high school volleyball is representing my high school, playing with my classmates and playing for Lance Stewart," she said.
Palmer has been a major recruit since her eighth grade year when she first started receiving letters from interested colleges, but she benefited from her sister's experiences.
"The recruiting process was fun. I was fortunate enough to watch my sister, Alexandra, work through the process and enjoy it," said Palmer. "She helped me be confident and to communicate with college coaches. The hardest part about choosing a college was determining if I was a good fit for the program and the program was a good fit for me."
She has already committed to Arizona State University for next year.
"I am very excited to play in the Pac-12," she said. "I know it will be tough competition. I am looking forward to continuing to work hard, grow as a player and be an asset to my team."
As part of an athletic family (her sister is a junior setter at Santa Clara and her brother is a freshman golfer at Cornell), Palmer says that her mother and sister have had a big influence on her progress, along with several other coaches along the way.
"My mom is the influential person helping me become an athlete. My sister, Alexandra, is a great role model and inspiration to me," she said. "All of my coaches at Laguna Beach Volleyball Club, Lance Stewart, my high school coach, and all of the coaches I played for with USA Volleyball have been great coaches and mentors who have had a tremendous influence on my volleyball career."
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