That's What She Set: Q&A with Sam Manley
03/21/2017 | Beach Volleyball
Sam Manley is a sophomore who seems to be well on her feet. As a wise older sister to her teammate Jessica Manley, Sam looks to be well on her way to a successful, hard-working season. Manley makes sure to focus on herself when improvements are needed and really likes to focus in on technique and strategy. At her first ever Pac-12 Conference Beach Volleyball Championship game, Sam finished 3-2 with wins against Wildcat rivals ASU, Washington, and UCLA.
Ever since she was little, Sam has been playing around in the sand getting used to its combination with a volleyball during family beach days. While she holds an unbreakable bond with her sister Jess, she also holds a different level of chemistry with long time friend, teammate, and partner Hailey Devlin. We wish our Sand Cats the best of luck this season as they Bear Down and make us proud.
ArizonaWildcats.com sat down with sophomore Sam Manley from San Diego, California to learn more about her focus and some of her beach volleyball history.
Q: How has your transition been from freshman to sophomore year?
A: Confidence is a big factor when transitioning from freshman to sophomore year. Freshman year, serves are coming at a quicker pace, everyone around you is older, and you've never experienced games at a college level. Having that experience gives you confidence, and I think confidence is a really big factor in this game and in your performance.
Q: Now that you have a couple of games under your belt, what are some personal improvements that you would like to make?
A: I want to clean up my passing a little bit more and work on expanding my offense. Mixing up my shots more and not letting the defender get comfortable or let them feel confident that I am going to hit the ball in a certain area is what I would like to improve on.
Q: What are your team goals?
A: Our team goals are more so accomplishments. We would love to win the Pac-12 Championship game.
Q: What is it like playing with Hailey Devlin since you have known her for so long?
A: It feels really natural playing with Hailey (Devlin). We've been playing for 4 to 5 years now. Our chemistry is really strong, and even if we can't get the words out of our mouths, the other person knows what we want. Our strengths play on each other's, so we mesh really well together.
Q: What is your earliest beach volleyball memory?
A: When I was little, I used to play with my sister, and I just remember being really frustrated at myself. I also remember my family being all together at the beach and us just messing around because I wasn't an intense player yet.
Q: Do you have any pre game rituals?
A: I usually stick to myself for a longer period of time before the game. I play better what I'm calm. Sometimes I even do homework, keep to myself, listen to some music, and right before, our team gets hype together. We listen to music and dance.
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