Meet the Mavs: Amy Roberts
Jul 9, 2012 | Volleyball
Amy Roberts is a junior defensive specialist from Norfolk, Neb. Check out her Meet the Mavs Q&A below to learn more about her start in volleyball, how she discovered UNO and where the Spanish and secondary education major's international travels have taken her.
Do you have any nicknames?
A lot of my friends call me Ame (or Aim).
What age did you start playing volleyball?
I started playing volleyball when I was seven years old in a YMCA league.
What was your first volleyball memory?
I don't remember much from the YMCA league; I've just seen pictures. So my first real volleyball memory is when my friend Kaylene and I would play pepper together in our front yards every single day during the summers for hours.
Who is your volleyball idol and why?
My volleyball idol is Kayla Jansen. She was a senior here at UNO when I came in as a freshman. She was such a great defensive player and leader. I've always hoped to follow in her footsteps, and I'm really glad that I had a chance to be her teammate and get to know her.
Who influenced your volleyball career the most and why?
My high school volleyball coach, Michelle Fisher, influenced my volleyball career the most. She helped train me, get me involved in club programs, and she also played a huge role in helping me with the recruiting process. Her sister, Stacie, played volleyball at UNO, so that's how my interest in UNO got started when she encouraged me to go to some UNO volleyball camps. To this day, I still call Coach Fisher to talk to her about volleyball. I'm really thankful for all she has done for me.
What is your favorite pro sports team?
I actually don't have a favorite pro sports team anymore. I love watching sports, but I don't have a favorite team. When I was little I was a big fan of the Atlanta Braves.
Who is your favorite athlete?
My favorite athlete is Kerri Walsh. I grew up watching her and Misty May Treanor on TV playing sand volleyball for the AVP league and in the Olympics, and I always wanted to be just like her.
Do you have any superstitions?
I am not a very superstitious person, but I'm not a big fan of Friday the 13th!
Where are you most excited to travel next season?
I am most excited to travel to Navy in Annapolis, Md., next season. It's going to be an exciting trip, and we're going to play some great competition.
What is your favorite pre-game meal?
My favorite pre-game meal is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with an apple, pretzels and a blue or yellow Gatorade.
What is your favorite book?
Right now I'm reading the Hunger Games series, and I'm obsessed with it. I'm just about finished with the third book. I'm also a big fan of Nicholas Sparks books. In the past, I wasn't a big reader, but I'm really starting to enjoy reading in my spare time.
What is your favorite board game?
My favorite board game is LIFE. I played it all the time when I was little.
What is your favorite movie?
I love movies! It's hard for me to pick a favorite. All of my favorites are chick flicks.
What is your favorite class at UNO?
My favorite class at UNO was Spanish Conversation and Pronunciation with Maria Garcia. I really enjoyed the class and the professor. I had a lot of friends in the class, and the main point was to practice our Spanish speaking skills with each other, so I feel like I benefited greatly from the class.
What are you career goals?
My career goals are to graduate college with Spanish and secondary education degrees. I hope to find a job teaching 7th to 10th grade Spanish, and I would like to coach volleyball as well. Later on I hope to get a translating license as well as a real estate license. I'm obsessed with HGTV, so it's a dream of mine to get involved in the real estate and home design industry!
What is something people may not know about you?
Something people may not know about me is that softball used to be my main sport. I played for traveling club teams, loved it and wanted to play softball in college. But when it came time for high school, I ended up choosing volleyball over softball, which turned out to be a great decision to lead me here to UNO.
You studied abroad in Spain last year -- what was that experience like?
My experience in Spain was AMAZING. Studying abroad was the best decision I've ever made. I fell in love with Spain the moment I got there and the whole experience really helped me to improve my Spanish. I studied abroad through a program called ISA (International Studies Abroad) and chose to do it in Malaga, Spain, which is right on the southern coast of Spain on the Mediterranean Sea. It was a six-week program, May to June, and I lived with a host family who spoke no English. I went to the University of Malaga during the week 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and then had the rest of the day to do whatever I wanted, which was usually spent at the beach.
On the weekends we went on excursions to other cities in Spain. I visited Madrid, Barcelona, Toledo, Rhonda, Nerja, Sevilla, Tarifa, and Granada. I met some amazing people in Spain, including friends that I know will be lifelong. I loved the culture and laidback lifestyle in Spain, and I can't wait to go back again. I encourage all students to study abroad; it is such a great experience.
Had you ever traveled internationally before?
Other than Spain, I have been to Mexico and Italy. Before my program in Spain started, my mom and I traveled in Spain and Italy for about two weeks.
What was your best memory of Spain?
I have SO many great memories of Spain. The whole experience is one big memory that I will never forget. If I had to pick one memory it would be my 20th birthday that I spent in Spain. It was the day of our excursion to Rhonda, which was my favorite city in Spain. It's a smaller town set in a valley of the mountains, and the whole town is split by a deep gorge with a river at the bottom and there's an old bridge attaching the two sides of the town. The views in Rhonda were gorgeous, and it was a perfect place to spend my birthday with some great friends.
Do you have any nicknames?
A lot of my friends call me Ame (or Aim).
What age did you start playing volleyball?
I started playing volleyball when I was seven years old in a YMCA league.
What was your first volleyball memory?
I don't remember much from the YMCA league; I've just seen pictures. So my first real volleyball memory is when my friend Kaylene and I would play pepper together in our front yards every single day during the summers for hours.
Who is your volleyball idol and why?
My volleyball idol is Kayla Jansen. She was a senior here at UNO when I came in as a freshman. She was such a great defensive player and leader. I've always hoped to follow in her footsteps, and I'm really glad that I had a chance to be her teammate and get to know her.
Who influenced your volleyball career the most and why?
My high school volleyball coach, Michelle Fisher, influenced my volleyball career the most. She helped train me, get me involved in club programs, and she also played a huge role in helping me with the recruiting process. Her sister, Stacie, played volleyball at UNO, so that's how my interest in UNO got started when she encouraged me to go to some UNO volleyball camps. To this day, I still call Coach Fisher to talk to her about volleyball. I'm really thankful for all she has done for me.
What is your favorite pro sports team?
I actually don't have a favorite pro sports team anymore. I love watching sports, but I don't have a favorite team. When I was little I was a big fan of the Atlanta Braves.
Who is your favorite athlete?
My favorite athlete is Kerri Walsh. I grew up watching her and Misty May Treanor on TV playing sand volleyball for the AVP league and in the Olympics, and I always wanted to be just like her.
Do you have any superstitions?
I am not a very superstitious person, but I'm not a big fan of Friday the 13th!
Where are you most excited to travel next season?
I am most excited to travel to Navy in Annapolis, Md., next season. It's going to be an exciting trip, and we're going to play some great competition.
What is your favorite pre-game meal?
My favorite pre-game meal is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with an apple, pretzels and a blue or yellow Gatorade.
What is your favorite book?
Right now I'm reading the Hunger Games series, and I'm obsessed with it. I'm just about finished with the third book. I'm also a big fan of Nicholas Sparks books. In the past, I wasn't a big reader, but I'm really starting to enjoy reading in my spare time.
What is your favorite board game?
My favorite board game is LIFE. I played it all the time when I was little.
What is your favorite movie?
I love movies! It's hard for me to pick a favorite. All of my favorites are chick flicks.
What is your favorite class at UNO?
My favorite class at UNO was Spanish Conversation and Pronunciation with Maria Garcia. I really enjoyed the class and the professor. I had a lot of friends in the class, and the main point was to practice our Spanish speaking skills with each other, so I feel like I benefited greatly from the class.
What are you career goals?
My career goals are to graduate college with Spanish and secondary education degrees. I hope to find a job teaching 7th to 10th grade Spanish, and I would like to coach volleyball as well. Later on I hope to get a translating license as well as a real estate license. I'm obsessed with HGTV, so it's a dream of mine to get involved in the real estate and home design industry!
What is something people may not know about you?
Something people may not know about me is that softball used to be my main sport. I played for traveling club teams, loved it and wanted to play softball in college. But when it came time for high school, I ended up choosing volleyball over softball, which turned out to be a great decision to lead me here to UNO.
You studied abroad in Spain last year -- what was that experience like?
My experience in Spain was AMAZING. Studying abroad was the best decision I've ever made. I fell in love with Spain the moment I got there and the whole experience really helped me to improve my Spanish. I studied abroad through a program called ISA (International Studies Abroad) and chose to do it in Malaga, Spain, which is right on the southern coast of Spain on the Mediterranean Sea. It was a six-week program, May to June, and I lived with a host family who spoke no English. I went to the University of Malaga during the week 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and then had the rest of the day to do whatever I wanted, which was usually spent at the beach.
On the weekends we went on excursions to other cities in Spain. I visited Madrid, Barcelona, Toledo, Rhonda, Nerja, Sevilla, Tarifa, and Granada. I met some amazing people in Spain, including friends that I know will be lifelong. I loved the culture and laidback lifestyle in Spain, and I can't wait to go back again. I encourage all students to study abroad; it is such a great experience.
Had you ever traveled internationally before?
Other than Spain, I have been to Mexico and Italy. Before my program in Spain started, my mom and I traveled in Spain and Italy for about two weeks.
What was your best memory of Spain?
I have SO many great memories of Spain. The whole experience is one big memory that I will never forget. If I had to pick one memory it would be my 20th birthday that I spent in Spain. It was the day of our excursion to Rhonda, which was my favorite city in Spain. It's a smaller town set in a valley of the mountains, and the whole town is split by a deep gorge with a river at the bottom and there's an old bridge attaching the two sides of the town. The views in Rhonda were gorgeous, and it was a perfect place to spend my birthday with some great friends.
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