Some people are born into their sport and continue a family tradition. Others find it at a young age and it’s all they’ve ever known. Averi Tippit, on the other hand, didn’t get into volleyball till she got to high school, though you wouldn’t know it from watching her play.

The Charles Page High School sophomore is already a rising young star on the varsity team thanks to her height, hard work, and her natural skill. 

“Everyone said I was tall,” says Tippit, on why she got into volleyball. “They said ‘you should play volleyball.’ I tried it and I liked it.” The rest is history.

“Volleyball takes over my life. I play all year round. My goals are definitely to be a good teammate and to have good energy with my team and just to be a team player. I’m working on keeping my attitude up and being consistent with hits and my tips and stuff.”

“Our last tournament in Oklahoma City, I think we all had a good dynamic. We were all working together as a team, and that was the best we’ve played by far. They’ve definitely been really supportive. When I’ve been down on myself, they’ve helped me stay up and I really appreciate that.”

“Tippit’s done a good job for being so young and never playing before,” says Sand Springs head coach Derek Jackson. “Kind of stepping into a really big role as far as defense. As a right-sider her main job is to block. She’s going up against the best hitters that most teams have. For her to step into a tough position at a young age, hat’s off to her. I think she’ll develop into a pretty special player. She’s a good kid. She works her tail off and she has great character.”

As for the future, Tippit is hoping to play collegiate volleyball and dreams of playing at the Olympic level. She also wants to be a veterinarian and belongs to an animal science club.