TALLAHASSEE, Fla — Sports have the ability to impact a young athlete's life and for Community Christian volleyball's Erin Szortyka volleyball has done that.
Erin Szortyka is this week's ABC 27's Scholar Athlete of the Week.
Community Christian volleyball stand-out Erin Szortyka started playing volleyball in the eighth grade.
"It just looked really fun and it was something I wanted to try," said Szortyka.
She was hooked and has now been suiting up for the Chargers on Varsity since her freshman season.
"She's willing to do whatever it takes and one of the things I love about Erin is that there's been several times where I ask her, 'will you play this position,'" said Nina Gunn-Hall, the volleyball coach at Community Christian. "I knew she didn't want to, and she did it anyways."
Szortyka is a player who can do it all and that confidence has transformed her off the court too.
"My life has been transformed from being here and I'm a totally different person than I was freshman year," Szortyka said. "It's helped me overcome so many insecurities and so many issues. It's helped me find my leadership qualities I didn't know I had."
"The first few years that I coached Erin, she never said a word. Nothing," said Gunn-Hall. "I said, 'Erin, talk to me,' and she'd smile. She's really come out her shell and it's been great to see."
Szortyka's grades are also pretty great. She has a 4.29 GPA.
