Senior middle blocker Danika Washington competed in her final home game with UTEP volleyball Nov. 23 at Memorial Gym. The senior middle blocker had an impressive season with several accomplishments such as reaching eight blocks in the Conference-USA tournament versus Liberty University and scoring a total of 14 points against the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Now Washington is gearing up for her next event– graduation.
The Fort Worthian began her journey at UTEP as a public health major and student athlete in 2023, but her love for volleyball came much earlier. Washington, who was initially a track athlete, joined volleyball in seventh grade but she said it was during the COVID-19 pandemic that she became hooked on the sport.
“It was my junior year of high school, and we were stuck inside, and I remember thinking, ‘Okay, we’re inside; let’s go see about volleyball,’” said Washington. “Then I went back to school my junior year and it just flipped for me.”
Washington says the Miners’ coaching staff and ‘winning culture’ is what drove her to join the university’s volleyball program. She describes the Miners’ training sessions as some of the most intense workouts she has ever done but believes the discipline is what revealed her athletic prowess and molded her into the athlete and student she is today.
“The volleyball was really starting to click for me. I was executing these skills that I’ve never done before,” said Washington. “And I feel like it’s kind of shaped a lot of things in my life, like the independence and the ability to have that emotional control in my school too.
Graduating from college is no easy task, but having to balance academics and athletics is an entirely different ball game. Washington continues to persevere despite the physical and mental obstacles she faces on a daily basis.
“Of course, it gets hard at times. It’s hard to balance practice when you’re physically tired and you’re emotionally tired. But I just stay strong and go to school because I know at the end of the day, my education is what’s most important,” said Washington.
While Washington nears the end of her chapter at UTEP she hopes to begin an internship within public health and is considering plans to play professional volleyball overseas.
As she reflects on her time at UTEP, Washington emphasizes the importance of self-compassion and confidence in her ability to succeed.
“There’d be hard practices and hard days where I thought, ‘What if I’m not cut out for this? What if I’m not that person that could be a full-time student and an athlete?’ So, I wish I would’ve been nicer to myself and given myself a little more grace,” said Washington.
Though UTEP volleyball was eliminated in the semifinals of the C-USA tournament, On Dec.1 it was announced that the team earned a spot in the NCAA Volleyball Tournament, the first time in program history. The Miners will continue their post season journey, where Washington along with teammates will continue to set the standard for Miner volleyball in seasons to come.
Alyda Muela is the web editor and may be reached at [email protected]
