Student-Athlete Spotlight: Marlene Morales

For this week’s Student-Athlete Spotlight, we would like to recognize, Marlene Morales. Marlene plays for Hartnell Volleyball team as outside hitter (#6). Marlene grew up in King City, CA and attended King City High School. She has been playing volleyball for the past eight years; she started to play when she was in seventh grade and continued all four years of high school. "What I love about volleyball is that it's a really exciting sport and a very frustrating one. It's a team sport, everybody is really competitive, it's all about skill. What I love most about this sport is how unique it is," explained Marlene. Something Marlene likes about her college team is “the spark we get when we are on a roll! We are all beasts and very competitive.” She is majoring in Biology and her career goal is to become a dermatologist, "I’m considering transferring to UC Davis and if I have the opportunity to play for them, then I will be honored to continue playing." Marlene would be an exceptional addition to any team, her individual record shows that so far in the season she has had 100 kills, 352 attacks, and 139 digs! In addition to the numbers, Marlene had a few changes in position. “This year I'm having her play a different position than she did last year. I think she’s doing really well adjusting to the differences between the two, now she gets a lot more opportunities to hit, to pass and things like that,” explained Head Volleyball Coach, Jamie Pedroza. “It’s just to show that she’s grown a lot, and I’m pretty proud of her growth. To me, that’s the big picture of it all.” Marlene works very hard practicing, doing homework, and pushing herself to do better each time she sets foot in the court. ‘There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind’ - this quote motivates Marlene to continue to improve her record along with her academics. “I always like to look at what the future holds for me," Marlene explains. Some accomplishments she is proud of are her educational skills, ability to handle work, being a full-time student and an athlete, all at once. According to her, she had a rough first semester, trying to get the hang of it all, however now she is thriving and feels more confident and capable than ever before. Marlene also draws inspiration from her own family, “My only role model is my father. Not really in a figure of athleticism, but just because he’s my father and he works really hard. I just love him,” Marlene expressed. We recognize her work ethic and her drive to continue to strive for better. Marlene concluded with "I'm small but mighty," and we are certain that she is a fighter, resilient and motivated woman. We wish Marlene the best in her future endeavors. Go Panthers!