10 Questions With ... Thea Snider -- Women's Volleyball

Our second 10 Questions With feature focuses on Orange Coast College women's volleyball setter Thea Snider, who started for the Pirates last year and dished out over 800 assists as a freshman and helped lead OCC to 19 wins and a second-round trip to the Southern California Regional playoffs.

1. Do you remember when you first started playing indoor volleyball? What is it about the sport you love so much? And … tell us how you made it here to OCC??

"I started playing in fourth or fifth grade and I started playing in the city gym. From there, I played club volleyball and really loved it. I really had a passion for the game. I played high school indoor volleyball for my first two years then played beach volleyball after that. I regrated not playing indoor anymore so I should a text to Chuck and asked about playing for Orange Coast College … and here I am!"

2. For the Pirates last year, you were OCC's starting setter and helped the Pirates to a 19-7 record and a trip to the second round of the Southern California Regional playoffs. What were some of the things you learned during that first year with the Pirates that you can carry into this year?

"As a freshman and starting setter, I had to learn how to run an offense from scratch. I played at a lower level of play in high school and so I really needed to be taught how to run our offense the right way. It's something I really focused on as a freshman. Now I feel like I'm more aware of things on the court and that will help me heading into my sophomore year."

3. How has it been playing for Chuck? What have you learned from him during your time at OCC?

"I love playing for Chuck! He's great and he cares so much about the players. He's very compassionate and encouraging. For me, whenever I have a question, he'll sit down with me and lay it out for me. I never have that feeling of 'why did you give me this order' because he gives it to me straight."

4. What has it been like during this pandemic and what have you been able to do to stay sharp as we head towards the 2021 season?

"This pandemic definitely has had its moments. Once we were away, I started running and my dad has weights for weightlifting. The beach has been available for me so I've been playing a lot of beach volleyball to keep my skills sharp. I've been going to racquetball courts so I can work on setting off of the walls and things like that."

5. Take me through the role of setter … it's much more than just passing the ball to the right person. What are some of the facets of the sport that maybe the average fan doesn't know?

"Being a setter is a lot of fun and it can be stressful. I like that I'm guaranteed a touch every time. For me, it's like a chess game … who's hitting the ball well out there, who might be off their game a bit, etc. Plus I need to pay attention to how the other team is playing against us. Are they a big/tall team? Are they blocking our outsides more? I'm like the quarterback of the team and it's my job to make everyone as successful as possible."

6. If I gave you a 24-hour pass from COVID and you could do anything that you used to do, what would it be?? What do you miss the most from this isolation??

"I didn't do it a ton of this before the pandemic, but I'd be traveling. We were planning things and places to go last March before things were stopped. I'd love to go to London and I have a friend in Ireland, so those are tops on my list."

7. All kids like to eat … what are your favorite meals??
   1. Favorite food in general – "Where do I start?! I love pizza .. pasta … potatoes and eggs."
   2. Favorite pre-match snack – "Typically, I have a protein shake before working out. Last indoor season I would have a ham, onion, lettuce and tomato panini."
   3. Favorite post-match meal – "I tried to keep an apple and banana in my backpack to keep from going out every time after a match."
8. When you're not playing volleyball, what do you enjoy doing?? Any hobbies or interests???

"Honestly, just love being outside doing whatever … hiking, biking, camping … that kind of stuff."

9. In the COVID world, we've all been binge-watching TV shows. What have you been watching during this isolation time?

"Watching New Girl over and over. I've been also trying to get into Gilmore Girls too."

10. What are some of your plans after OCC?? Perhaps a career beyond volleyball??

"Everything is a bunch of unknowns right now thanks to COVID. Transferring to a four-year would be incredible. I'm a psychology major because it really interests me. My former beach volleyball partner goes to University of Hawaii so that made me a bit jealous … I wouldn't mind going there too!"