Raquel Rooney, junior at Athens Drive, committed to playing beach volleyball at the Division I level for the University of North Florida (UNF) located in Jacksonville, Fla.

UNF started their beach volleyball program in 2012 with head coach Samantha Dobbs leading the way. Players play games in both pairs and individuals.

“I was really excited to commit to play beach volleyball in college because it has always been my goal. I chose the University of North Florida because Florida is a great beach volleyball place and I really like the warm weather,” said Rooney.

Rooney has been playing volleyball since she was five years old and continues to play both indoor and beach volleyball.  She plays for the Southern Sand Volleyball Club and has been playing on the Athens varsity team since she was sophomore.

Beach volleyball and indoor volleyball are two different games. Beach volleyball is played outside on a sand court and is played in partners. Indoor volleyball is played on an indoor court that is larger than a sand court and has six players on the court at a time, per team, along with substitutes. Another difference is that the indoor volleyballs are made out of leather and are heavy. Beach volleyballs, on the other hand, are made lighter, allowing players to use good weather to their advantage.

“I really enjoy playing beach volleyball because it uses more strategy since there are only two players per team. You never have to worry about playing time because there are no substitutes,” said Rooney.  “I also really like the fact that it is played outside.”

Rooney is a left-handed player, so she always plays on the right side of the court as an outside hitter. Most lefties play on the right-front corner in order to get the most power when they hit.

Over the past summer Rooney and her partner, Tiana Butler, won the Carolina Region Qualifier beach volleyball tournament and were able to advance to Nationals where they tied for fifth place.  She helped Athens Drive finish the season in the top half of the conference, giving them a playoff spot for two years in a row.

“I have really enjoyed playing volleyball with Raquel for the past five years. She is a really funny person who is fun to be around and never gets down on herself or the team when we are playing,” said Sarah Johnson, senior teammate.

Rooney is looking forward to playing as a senior on the Athens volleyball team next season. She is most excited about heading to Florida for her college volleyball experience where she looks forward to making new friends and meeting new people.

“Volleyball is my favorite thing in the world and I have made my best friends along the way,” said Rooney.