GILROY – Don’t make the mistake of telling Loryn Ferreira she
has a 4.0 grade point average – it’s not accurate.
She is eager, and rightly so, to correct such a statement and
politely inform that she carries a 4.3 GPA.
GILROY – Don’t make the mistake of telling Loryn Ferreira she has a 4.0 grade point average – it’s not accurate.
She is eager, and rightly so, to correct such a statement and politely inform that she carries a 4.3 GPA.
Ferreira, a senior this year at Gilroy High School, has a loaded schedule with four Advanced Placement classes: biology, English, economy/government and statistics. She is also a key member of the girls varsity volleyball team.
If that sounds like a busy schedule – it is.
Her days start early and end late, but that’s just how she likes it. It is the way of life for a student-athlete and Ferreira embraces the challenges.
“I have set really high goals and that’s what is keeping me going,” Ferreira said. “I really want to go off to college and start my own thing.”
Ferreira has a full slate staring at her every day. Schoolwork, practices, and games, are just a few of the items on her daily agenda. But a gritty determination to be the best and to perform at the highest level in the classroom as well as on the court drives her toward her college aspirations.
“I have this self-motivation thing,” Ferreira said. “It requires work and a lot of integrity. Unless you give your all, you can’t expect the best. If you want the best you have to put in the work.”
It is always an interesting journey to delve into the mind of a student-athlete that puts equal efforts into school and athletics. Ferreira speaks in the same breath, with the same glow about her love of literature and how volleyball allows her to lash out and release tension and stress.
“Volleyball is my down time. It’s my time to let loose all the pressure of school,” she said. “I get to slam the ball around and take out my frustrations.”
After wrapping up a match against Salinas on Tuesday, there is no time for the senior middle blocker to dwell on the loss, even though her disappointment is clearly visible.
“I hate losing,” she said. “I hate it. People can see that. I refuse to lose, and that’s with everything. I can’t fail.”
A quick gathering of her equipment, which consists mostly of text books, is followed by a short drive home – a rare break. And when she arrives, it’s back to work for Ferreira as she hits the books to squeeze in a couple hours of studying.
“I’ll probably get out of here a little bit before 10,” Ferreira said. “I will do homework until 12.”
So far this season Ferreira leads the Mustangs in service aces, digs and kills. First-year head coach Josh Corioso implored Ferreira to step up this season as a vocal leader, and his encouragement has paid dividends.
“I always saw her talent, but she was kind of quiet,” Corioso said. “I sat her down and talked to her. I told her she had to take her younger teammates under her wing. It’s a little bit different of a role for her. But she is starting to lead on the court and taking matters into her own hands. She knows the game of volleyball. She is intense and I love intensity.”
Corioso’s presence on the sideline this season, Ferreira said, has given her a newfound appreciation for her sport, something she lacked last year as the team struggled with cohesiveness.
“My team is awesome and (Corioso) has taken a lot of the stress out of it,” she said. “We had a hard time the last couple years. I felt like I was wasting my time. But, (Corioso) has kept us on track. It has been a lot more fun.”
Ferreira knows that in her pursuit of academic excellence at the collegiate level will mean giving up the sport she has played over the past four years. But if she gets into the two schools topping her list of choices, it’s a small sacrifice.
“I’m looking at UC Berkeley and UC Santa Barbara,” Ferreira said. “Fingers crossed.”
