- "I made Virginia Wesleyan my top choice because I was contacted by Coach Hoover (Andrea) to visit on a recruiting weekend. That was the first time I even knew about the school. I knew I wanted to play volleyball in college and was looking at a couple other schools for that reason. When I arrived at VWC I fell in love. I could see myself going to school here. I loved the way the team and the coaches worked together when I watched them play. Later that night I hung out with the team and I felt at home. I knew that's where I belonged."
- Only applied to Virginia Wesleyan
Career Highs
Kills: 9 – (vs. Marywood - 9/9/16)
Assists: 2 - (3x, most recent, William Peace - 10/5/17)
Service Aces: 3 - (at Eastern Mennonite - 9/19/15)
Digs: 14 - (St. Mary's (Md.) - 9/2/16)
Total Blocks: 5 – (3x, most recent, at St. Mary's (Md.) - 10/26/17)
INDIVIDUAL ACCOLADES
- ODAC All-Academic Team (2017-18)
- 2016-17 ODAC All-Academic Team
- 2015-16 ODAC All-Academic Team
Senior (2017): Appeared in 17 matches, making one start... Posted five blocks in her lone start at St. Mary's (Md.) on October 26... Contributed four kills, two assists, and three blocks against William Peace on October 5.
Junior (2016): Appeared in 26 matches, making 15 starts for the Marlins…Posted a new career-best with nine kills against Marywood on September 9…Had five blocks on two different occasions, at N.C. Wesleyan on September 13 and against Lynchburg on October 28…All-around player that finished with 61 kills, 12 assists, 97 digs, and 33 blocks.
Sophomore (2015): Played in 12 matches and 21 sets as a sophomore… Posted a career-best 12 digs at Salisbury University on September 22… Added nine more digs at Eastern Mennonite on September 19.
Freshman (2014): Saw time in eight matches for the Marlins as a freshman… Had seven kills on the season in limited action… Had two kills and a block against Penn St.-Harrisburg on October 25.
Academic Accomplishments: Presidential Scholar
Before VWU: Captained a Bedford team that finished 16-9… Led Bedford with 113 kills, 48 aces, points, and serving percentage… Selected as the team's Most Valuable Player… Selected as a Dual County League All-Star… Boston Globe Dual County All-Scholastic honoree… Lowell Sun First Team All-Region honoree.
Personal: Daughter of Erin and Russell Smith… Dad attended the United States Naval Academy and Kings College London, mom attended Old Dominion University… Born in Twenty Nine Palms, Calif… Has one sister, Paige.
Get to Know Colleen
-Enjoys all types of music
- A fan of the Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara and celebrity Adam Levine
- Favorites include sushi and steak, the Percy Jackson book series, the movie "22 Jump Street," and the TV series "The Office"
- Career goal is to become an FBI agent
- Self-description in 10 words or less: "a committed hard worker who never gives up"
- My favorite aspect of being an athlete is: "the bonds you make with your teammates and other athletes"
- The part of my game I've improved the most is: "the power of my arm swing, as well as ball placement, as opposed to just hitting it somewhere"
- My personal athletic goal at VWC is: "to become the best player I can be by continued improvement, and to be a player the team can count on when it comes to hard times"
- If I could spend one day with a famous person from any time period it would be: "Elie Wiesel, the author of "Night." He was a holocaust survivor who was able to take one of the most traumatizing experiences a human can encounter, recover from it, and turn his life into something amazing. He has written a book about his experiences, has become a professor, got married, and helps people through the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity"
- People might be surprise to know: "the first year of my volleyball career (freshman year) I couldn't serve the ball over the net"
- It's the year 2030 and: "I'm living in a city with a wonderful and loving family, and have a great career with the FBI"
- The most important advice I've received is: "do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail" -- Robert Waldo Emerson
