Had I Known… Lesson 1

Coming out of the University of Louisville, I thought I had it all figured out. I’d just finished four years as an MVP, All-American, and stacked with every accolade you could imagine. I was confident, hungry, and ready to take on the world. My first pro contract was in Russia—one of the toughest volleyball leagues in Europe—and I thought I was prepared. I wasn’t.

In Louisville, I was the standout. In Russia, I was just one of many. Everyone around me was just as tall, just as strong, just as fast—but with something I didn’t have: technique, ball control, consistency. I felt like I was drowning in comparison. Instead of doubling down on what made me special, I tried to become like everyone else. I wanted to spike, block, serve, receive, dig—be this complete player, like a volleyball Swiss Army knife. But the truth? I failed miserably.

I got traded. Then benched. Then barely played. Seasons passed, and contracts got harder to come by. I kept thinking, “If I can just fix my defense… If I can just get better at passing…” But I wasn’t getting better. I was getting lost.

Eventually, I got a new manager and a new contract in Poland. I thought it was a fresh start—but two months in, I got released. I remember sitting there, contractless again, feeling like maybe this dream of mine just wasn’t meant to work.

That’s when it hit me. Or more like that’s when Yiğit entered my life and helped me understand. I had to stop pretending to be something I wasn’t. I had to stop trying to be a star player when I was a solid team contributor. I had to face the truth: I wasn’t great at everything, but I had my strengths—spiking, serving, and occasionally pulling off a decent block.

So I started being honest—with myself and with the teams I spoke to. I stopped trying to fit into a mold that wasn’t mine. I found clubs that wanted exactly what I could offer: a powerful spiker and a dangerous server. And guess what? That’s when everything turned around.

I worked hard and became one of the top spikers in the Turkish league, one of the strongest leagues in Europe. Later, I went to Japan, where I adjusted to their unique system and found success. Over several seasons, I earned recognition as one of the best scorers and spikers, even managing to score 60 points in a single match - a moment I’ll always be proud of.

Later, I slowly added some defense to my game—still no reception, and that’s okay. I stopped pretending to be everything. I became elite at being me.

So here’s Lesson 1: Know your truth. Embrace what you’re good at. Stop trying to be someone else. It’s not just okay to be different—it’s the only way to truly succeed.