By Ken Hansard
Sophie Bronson is a senior middle blocker in volleyball at Lamar High. Sophie is a two-year letter-winner for the Tigers, but she missed out on her junior volleyball season with a knee injury, which makes her biggest goal an easy one for her to identify, “I just want to play one last season with some of my best friends and get back on the court and stay healthy.”
As a senior, Sophie sees her role with the team as something in which she takes a lot of pride and ownership, “I see myself as an encourager. I strive to be a team player and a strong role model. I have loved volleyball since I started playing in the third grade. I used to look up to the high school players when I was younger, and I hope in return that I can set a good example for the younger girls who also love volleyball. So really, I just want to have a positive impact.”
Sophie’s off-season was not without its challenges, including the occasionally daunting task of rehabilitating both her knee and her psyche, “I have been overcoming a mental and physical battle rehabbing my knee to get back better than I was. I have to remind myself to always give 100% effort, on and off the court. In the end, I just want to play, be faster on my feet, and hopefully see some back row action.”
That dedication to the sport, as well as Sophie’s commitment to being a guiding hand for her teammates, hopefully will pay large dividends for all the Tigers this fall, “I think our team chemistry has improved a tremendous amount since the beginning of summer. We have learned how to work as a team.”
When she is not on the volleyball court, Sophie is active in Lamar’s student life. She is a strong student and is a member of the prestigious National Honors Society; she is Lamar’s Student Council vice-president. Sophie is also the president of the Tigers’ Sub Debs chapter, which is a high school sorority originally founded in 1945.
Following graduation in May, Sophie hopes to get an undergraduate degree in biology with an emphasis on pre-dental. Upon completion, she would like to continue her education in dental school.
