Aug. 21, 2017
The 2017 Auburn volleyball team boasts a large group of new faces in four freshmen and two transfers and AuburnTigers.com is spending time to get to know these newcomers.
With her sophomore year drawing near and the start of a new season at a new school just around the corner, Shaina White, a 6-1 middle blocker from Mission Viejo, Calif., is ready to make an immediate impact. We took time to talk to her when she arrived on campus in July so read up!
Q: Coming in as a transfer, what do you find yourself doing a lot of?
A: Walking. I find myself walking everywhere. To class, to practice, to my dorm or to hang out with friends. That's one of the things that I find myself doing a lot more of. Aside from that, I'm trying to get to know Auburn and get the feel of the place before fall semester, so I really appreciate this extra time that I get this semester. I also find myself studying a lot more and pushing myself harder in the gym.
Q: What are your goals for this season?
A: For the season, I'm really hoping to make a splash and help the team out in the best way I can. Another goal for me is to get more competitive. I know that I had a good season last year but I know that if I want to play here I need to be more competitive both on and off the court. I also want to improve on my skills and further my career by working harder than I have before.
Q: What is one of the biggest things that you have bought into as a Tiger?
A: Definitely family. I've bought into the working together as a unit to accomplish one particular goal. That's one thing I'm excited about this season. We have a lot of new people, including myself, but we all work really well together. I believe that you can have a team, but in order to be a successful team every member of the team has to work together toward a common goal no matter what distractions are thrown in the way.
Q: What's it like to come to Auburn and have a family already here?
A: I think it's really cool and I appreciate that I can mesh well with the team. In a team sport, like I said before, it's an important aspect to a team's success.
Q: What made you choose Auburn?
A: The biggest part of it for me was the environment. Everyone down here is so friendly and coming from California, it is a nice change. I think another factor for me was the idea of everyone down here being family. I'm not sure if it's a southern thing, or part of the "southern hospitality", but ever since I have been down here, everyone I have met had treated me like family. I like being treated like family because it makes me a little less homesick. I'm not saying that I'm overly homesick because I like to think that California is only one state away from Alabama, so I always feel like I'm home.
Q: What's one of the biggest differences between California and Auburn?
A: There are two things. One of them is that it's a smaller town. I like it though because there is more support for the university and the second thing is what I touched on before, which is everyone down here is a lot nicer.
Q: How has the adjustment period gone for you?
A: It's going well. Like I said before, I don't really get homesick because I like to think that California is only one state away from Alabama and Auburn has that family feel to it. The hardest part in the adjustment period is the mental side of things. There is just a lot going on as a student-athlete. You have classes, then practice, then study, friends and meetings. For me it can get exhausting, but it is something that I wanted coming down. I appreciate how hard it is but at the same time it's a little bit more challenging than I thought it would be. My teammates are cool and I mesh well with them. The coaches here are funny and make my adjustment period a little more lighthearted and more fun.
Q: What do you think about the SEC so far?
A: I like it. Looking ahead at the schedule, it's a longer season and there are a lot more games to be played. So, that's something that I'm looking forward to this year. There are also a lot more teams to play which makes the season more interesting because of the different ways other teams play.
Q: What are you like on and off the court?
A: If I'm on or off the court you're not going to see me yelling or getting extra hype. There are times when you see me light up but most times I'm really chill and calm. I think it's always how I've been, I just have a really mellow personality.
For the latest on Auburn volleyball, follow @AuburnVB on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AuburnVB.