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12/24/2022 08:18 AMOnly halfway through her second year of high school athletics within North Branford, Adriana Hills has proven that she can excel in multiple sports at multiple positions while being part of clubs that can grab championships for the Thunderbirds.
The sophomore began playing softball around the age of 10 before taking on volleyball after making her middle school squad. After a rookie campaign for North Branford softball that saw the catcher be part of a 20-win, Shoreline Conference Champion team that also made the Class S State Tournament final last spring, Adriana moved to the court this fall and tallied 58 serving aces and 294 digs in 71 sets. She transitioned to libero this season after playing outside hitter as a freshman.
“Volleyball was something I love excelling at,” says Adriana. “I saw it as something I could go to and look forward to. It was also something I did not need to stress about too much. My friends have been very helpful with volleyball, as many of them have had more experience with it than me. My coaches have been great, too; they are all great mentors who have been helpful with drills and made learning the sport easy.”
Moving from the front to the back is certainly a monumental move mentally and physically, though Adriana asserts that her relaxed personality helped her through the transition, as she additionally is gaining a new facet to her psyche.
“Going from outside hitter to libero, you have to shift your focus from the net to the back,” Adriana says. “I am more of a go-with-the-flow type of person, but back there, you have to let people know what they need to do and communicate. I feel I did a good job with that this year. We worked together most of the time this year.”
Adriana adds that when every front on the floor connects to create the perfect kill, it is the essential perfect play for the game.
“My favorite thing is when you record a good hit as a libero that goes right to the setter, and then to the hitter for a great kill,” says Adriana. “It is a fun type of play to watch and do; I love a sequence like that.”
Speaking more to the development of her verbal volleyball skill set, Adriana notes that there has been great progress, yet she details it is crucial to the T-Birds trying to ascend in the Shoreline standings.
“As a team as a whole, we accomplished a lot this year. I have noticed a lot of improvement,” Adriana says. “I want myself to become more dedicated to the sport, and I have improved on my speaking skills in expressing what I want people to do out there.”
As North Branford looks to clinch up Shoreline and state tournament bids next fall after collecting seven victories in 2022, Adriana aims to keep her mental fortitude very durable and ride high through the ups and downs of any set.
“For the future, we want to improve and advance to make the postseason,” says Adriana. “For me, I want to keep my confidence going on the court. I have to try not to get so down after a small mistake.”
T-Birds’ volleyball Head Coach Tori Ramada lauds Adriana’s ability to be a focal point of every point of each single set for her squad.
“Adriana played a pivotal role on our team this year. As a libero, she was constantly involved in every play on the court and worked hard to support her team in any way that she could,” says Ramada. “Her drive and determination is admirable. She truly is at the core of every play. As a sophomore, Adriana ranked in the top 10 in the conference for digs. We are thankful to have her as a part of our team and are excited to watch her continue to achieve her goals on and off the court.”
Nearing the upperclassmen half of her tenure as a T-Bird, Adriana is locked in on making the grade as a student, so she can help pave the road to collegiate success and stardom as an athlete.
“Academically, I want to have a successful academic career,” says Adriana. “I want to earn a scholarship, as I am hoping to play softball in college.”