Closing the Gap
Parents and students alike almost always worry about the athlete’s career changing from being fun, to being a chore. Angie White had this same fear when she began high school as an athlete. White began playing competitive volleyball for her middle school’s team just to be involved in a sport. When it came time for high school, her sister suggested she might find club volleyball a better option, so that’s where she went. First, she joined a local club team, then, a national club team as a middle blocker.
“I wasn’t sure if I wanted to though,” White says. “I was doing it for fun”. Nonetheless, White listened to what people were telling her, and it paid off in the long run.
Parents and students alike almost always worry about the athlete’s career changing from being fun, to being a chore. Angie White had this same fear when she began high school as an athlete. White began playing competitive volleyball for her middle school’s team just to be involved in a sport. When it came time for high school, her sister suggested she might find club volleyball a better option, so that’s where she went. First, she joined a local club team, then, a national club team as a middle blocker.
“I wasn’t sure if I wanted to though,” White says. “I was doing it for fun”. Nonetheless, White listened to what people were telling her, and it paid off in the long run.
While White was able to make the teams she tried out for, she couldn’t help but feel she was less experienced than the other girls on the team.
“Most volleyball athletes start playing seriously when they are little girls; I started in high school, so I was way behind. It was hard to remain confident and composed when my level of play was lower than my teammates.”
“Most volleyball athletes start playing seriously when they are little girls; I started in high school, so I was way behind. It was hard to remain confident and composed when my level of play was lower than my teammates.”
It was hard to deny the fact that White had natural talent for the game, no matter how long she had been playing. White worked hard every day to close the gap between her and her teammates, and it showed. She was named the Most Valuable Player on her team three years in a row, and ended her high school career with 564 blocks, almost 90 percent of them being solo blocks.
Near the end of her high school career, White was offered a full ride scholarship to play volleyball for Central Michigan University, and she accepted. In the past three years on the team at CMU, White has had 292 total blocks and 633 kills.
Near the end of her high school career, White was offered a full ride scholarship to play volleyball for Central Michigan University, and she accepted. In the past three years on the team at CMU, White has had 292 total blocks and 633 kills.
In White’s first year on the team, she was named to the Adidas/Michigan Challenge All-Tournament Team as well as being named the MAC (Mid-American Conference) West Defensive Player of the Week. At the end of the year she was named to the MAC All-freshman team.
Being invited to the USA volleyball tryouts in Colorado this year was, in White’s opinion, her greatest accomplishment.
“It was an amazing experience to play with the top athletes around our country,” says White.
Being invited to the USA volleyball tryouts in Colorado this year was, in White’s opinion, her greatest accomplishment.
“It was an amazing experience to play with the top athletes around our country,” says White.
Four years after accepting the invitation to play volleyball at the collegiate level, White is in her senior year with no trace of being an average athlete.
“I fell in love with the sport and here I am at CMU,” says White. “Here I am, a heavily decorated athlete that’s been a four-year starter in a Division 1 program. Hard work pays off.”
“I fell in love with the sport and here I am at CMU,” says White. “Here I am, a heavily decorated athlete that’s been a four-year starter in a Division 1 program. Hard work pays off.”

Senior Angie White (middle) dances in the locker room with her teammates at half time before returning to the court during their game against University of Toledo in McGuirk Arena, Mount Pleasant, Mich., Saturday, Oct. 10, 2015. The CMU volleyball team gets pumped up in similar ways before each game as well as at halftime.