Hayden Wooldridge, a senior at Freedom, committed to the University of North Florida this October as a defender. She started playing indoor volleyball eight years ago and made the switch to beach volleyball after two years.

The commitment process for athletes is never easy, it is difficult to find a college that your interested in and a college that is interested in you as well. Wooldridge was looking at Georgia State, University of Alabama, and University of North Florida.

“The process was so stressful it took all the fun out of volleyball and made me forget the reason why I played the sport,” Wooldridge explained.

She continued playing and putting in effort, regaining her passion for the sport she loves. UNF gave her an offer towards the end of September and she officially committed on October 1st.

Wooldridge said, “I am beyond excited and relieved that the commitment process is over and I cannot wait to go play for a coach I love at a school I love.”

Not only has Wooldridge excelled in her athletics, but also her academics. Throughout her high school years, she has maintained a 3.9 GPA,  has taken 12 AP classes, and scored a 34 on her ACT. She continued to attend three hour practices nearly everyday and two day tournaments every weekend.

Wooldridge is attending UNF in the Fall of 2021 and is planning to major in Health Sciences. “I’m excited to meet new people and see what it’s like to be a college athlete,” Wooldridge continued, “I know it’s going to be way harder but I think it’ll be fun to push myself with a new group of people who also love the sport.”

“Volleyball has become a major focus in my life and pretty much made me who I am whether it’s my coaches or teammates everyone I’ve met in the sport has had a huge impact on me” Wooldridge explained.