To Ava Zamora (12), the idea of not playing volleyball after high school is unimaginable. Because of this, she committed to Stony Brook University (SBU), in New York, to continue her athletic career in Division I volleyball.

“I love volleyball,” Zamora said. “I just knew that it was something I didn’t want to end super early. If I were to stop playing now, I wouldn’t be happy with it. I love the sport and the people.” 

Zamora said the college recruitment process was long and stressful. When she was 13,  she started looking into colleges, and at 15 she began emailing those colleges and going to volleyball camps where college coaches could see her play. Zamora received offers from both UC Irvine and SBU the summer after her sophomore year, while also talking to numerous other schools. She visited SBU twice over the summer of 2023, once in June and then on an official visit in August. 

“I visited and I just fell in love,” Zamora said. “I met the team and they were all so funny and so nice. It just felt like home. It was a really pretty campus. I really like New York and SBU is in Long Island, right by the water. It’s like a little college town.” 

After her official visit, Zamora told all other schools she was in communication with that she was no longer considering them. She made the call to confirm her commitment to SBU in August 2023.

“I was with my mom and my dad when I called to confirm it,” Zamora said.  “It was just a big relief, but I was so confident and I was just really happy,”

Zamora said that playing at SBU will be at a completely different level competitively than high school volleyball, with more practices, stronger players, and less playing time as a freshman, though none of this dulls her excitement to play in college.

“I’m going to be playing with older girls too,” Zamora said. “There are going to be 22-year-olds, which is kind of crazy because I’m going to go in at 17. But I’m really excited for just a whole new team to bond with and play with. It’s a really exciting opportunity.”

Despite the competitive difference, Zamora still plans on taking what she learned while playing  high school volleyball with her, such as the crucial role of teamwork in a team’s success. 

“There were a lot of stressful games throughout my career where the score was either super close or it was an important match that would determine if we would move on or if our s would end,” Zamora said. “I think even under intense pressure we managed to have each other’s backs and play as a team.”

To prepare for the upcoming season, Zamora said that the SBU coaches have been sending her workout plans and introducing her to her future teammates.

 “The coaches were very nice,” Zamora said. “They’ve been super supportive through this whole thing. They’ve been telling me what I need to do to stay fit and to prepare for strength training over there and volleyball. They’ve come to a bunch of my tournaments to watch me, so it’s super fun and I’ve met all the other girls that are also committed for my year; they’ve introduced me to them. So it’s really exciting”