Kim Wright is a sophomore middle hitter for the Chico State volleyball team. A first team All-CCAA selection last year, Wright is now one of the leaders of a team that won the north division of their league this year and hopes to do even better this season.

When did you start playing volleyball and what got you into it?

I started playing in 7th grade because all my friends were playing. I tried out for the rec league and they wouldn’t let me play with my friends because I’m young for my grade so my mom had to coach a team in order for me to play with my grade level. So my mom was my first coach and she had never played volleyball in her life. It’s always been about playing with my teammates. I went through a rough patch in high school where I wanted to quit but it was ultimately the friends I made through volleyball and my teammates that refueled my love for the game.

Do you have any pregame rituals before you play a game?

Not really before I play, but more before I go into the gym for practice or games. I always hit the wall on top of the doorframe. For me it’s a way to tap into getting into the zone. I hit the door frame and it’s a way for me to physically “tap into” game mode. Once I’m in the gym, volleyball is the only thing I’m thinking about. Nothing outside of volleyball, like my personal life, is relevant at that point.

How would you describe your team’s season so far and what are your goals for the rest of the season?

Our season has already had its ups and downs. We had a strong preseason. We were lucky enough to be able to travel to Alaska to play four nationally ranked teams and beat one of them. Our conference didn’t start as strong as we had hoped. Right now we’re 2-3 in the CCAA. We’ve had a very challenging few weeks of travel and are excited to have home games. Our goals for the rest of the season are to dominate the NorCal teams to be 1st in the north division like we were last year. Our long term goal is to win the CCAA championship and advance to the West Regional Championship as well.

Patrick Pace can be reached at [email protected] or @PatPaceSports on Twitter.