By VICTORIA ADDISON
Sports Editor
For senior Victoria Daniels, volleyball has always been about more than just the game.
Daniels, 21, shares a unique quality with one of her teammates.That would be her twin sister, Katy.
The two have played volleyball at Saint Rose since their freshman year and are known for their many accomplishments, both on the court and in the classroom.
“I started playing volleyball when I was 10,” Daniels said. “Katy and I have always played together, both on teams and outside practicing by ourselves.”
Apart from volleyball, Daniels was involved in many different sports growing up, including gymnastics, soccer, softball, and track.
“My older sister and neighbor played volleyball, so we started messing around when we were young,” she said. “Volleyball became my main sport in seventh grade, when I joined the JV team in my middle school, and then continued to play year-round.”
After high school, Daniels originally planned to attend a different school than Katy. Her top choices included Wesleyan and Brandeis University.
“When the time got closer to decide, we couldn’t imagine playing apart,” Daniels said. “Ultimately, it came down to volleyball and being teammates for another four years.”
Daniels was not interested in attending the St. Rose at first, but her sister helped her make her decision.
“Katy influenced me the most to come to St. Rose because she decided she wanted to go here and I couldn’t imagine not being on the same court as her,” she said.
“We have always had a ‘twin’ connection on the court; we usually know where the other person is and how they are going to react to a play on the other side of the net. I can’t imagine a collegiate volleyball career without such a connection.”
Daniels grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, where she attended Washington High School her freshman year. She then moved to South Hadley, Massachusetts and continued her education at South Hadley High as a sophomore and then Frontier Regional School throughout her junior and senior years.
She is currently a social work major and plans to attend graduate school to earn a master’s in social work after graduation. Daniels hopes to become a licensed social worker after her education is complete.
Fellow volleyball player, sophomore Rachel Salasky, remembers how she was influenced by Daniels’ attitude while playing and also when she first visited St. Rose.
“Tori was one of the hardest working girls on our team, and even though she isn’t playing with us any more, she is the kind of person you won’t see for a while and then pick up right where you left off when you see each other again,” Salasky said.
“She was one of the first players I met when I came to visit this school and she was so energetic and excited about being here that she really influenced my decision to come to St. Rose.”
Of her many accomplishments as a Golden Knight, Daniels’ favorite memory dates back to her freshman year.
“We were ranked thirteenth out of the then-fifteen teams in our conference in the preseason poll, and finished the season second,” she said.
Perhaps the most rewarding experience of all for Daniels was not only playing for St. Rose, but having the opportunity to do so with her sister.
“I could not be happier with sharing my college career with Katy. We push each other on the court and training in the gym,” said Daniels. “We also give each other unparalleled support and motivation to be better for the team.”
