Right from the start, senior Candace Disney loved playing volleyball. She fell in love with the sport when she was in fourth grade playing for the Boys and Girls Club. It was her freshman year at Terrace that she started to get serious about the sport.
Disney started on the C-team her freshman year, but she didn’t let this discourage her. Her sophomore year she made varsity, which was a huge jump. Her improvements showed however and she got the “Most Improved” award her sophomore year. It wasn’t long until she was the starting outside hitter and captain of her team her senior year.
As Disney has grown up with the sport and played at Terrace, she has made many great memories and friendships that she will always hold on to and take into her college experience at Shoreline Community College where she will continue playing volleyball.
Out of all the memories that she had made, one of the most memorable ones was when her and her teammates went to Yakima for a tournament. They all stayed in a hotel together and made a video that she described as “funny and stupid.” It was fun for her and her teammates and is something she will always look back on and laugh.
During Disney’s time here playing Terrace Volleyball she also had the opportunity to build a strong relationship with her best friend Sophie Parsons and the now former head coach for Terrace volleyball, Rene Noeun. She said her and her coach still have a bond, and they still talk even though the season is over.
When asked about what Disney is going to miss, she didn’t hesitate when she said home games.
“I’m gonna miss home games because when they are playing the music when you’re warming up, just that feeling of knowing that you’re about to play in front of all your friends is really motivating.”
Although Disney made many great memories and had a great time at Terrace, she has also gone through some struggles. Her junior year she dislocated her right fibula and messed up her ankle at the same time and was in a wheelchair for a while after. She went through the fears of not knowing if she would ever be able to play again. Disney pushed through and was back on the court again to get ready for her senior year of volleyball.
As mentioned, Disney will be continuing her volleyball career at Shoreline Community College. Then she plans on attending Eastern Washington University to pursue a career in Physical Therapy, and she will take the lessons learned in volleyball with her through the rest of her life.
“I recommend playing team sports in high school, even if you don’t think your good at it,” Disney said. “You’ll make great memories and so many friends that it will be worth it, and it helps you get more involved with the school.”
