Student Athlete of the Week – Hannah Albert

Palm Desert beach volleyball player Hannah Albert is this week's student athlete of the week.

"When you get around Hannah off of the volleyball court, she's just a very fun person to be around," head coach Chris Braun said. "She relaxes her teammates sometimes. You know, these bus rides to our matches can be kind of stressful, and, you know, she's trying to lighten the load, and she's laughing and keeping everybody relaxed, so that's an important thing for a teammate to do."

Hannah Albert had quite the impact on Palm Desert's beach volleyball team, leading the Aztecs to the CIF playoffs, but Albert is the type of player who always wants more, and her why is quite simple.

"I mean, why not," Albert said. "You know, like, you do something, why not put your full effort into it? I mean, if you're putting your full effort into it, you're going to enjoy it as much as possible."

Albert also excels in the classroom with a 4.2 GPA, and she does so by focusing on herself now and who she wants to become.

"I mean, I put myself in the best position that I can," Albert said. "I mean, I want to do very well in my future, and so if I have to do that, I have to work really hard right now to make sure I set myself up."

Everything Albert has achieved—both as a student and athlete—has made all her hard work worth it in the end. 

"I'm planning going to the University of Utah," Albert said. "They have one of the best nursing programs in the country, and hopefully, maybe play beach volleyball on their beach team. My coach just informed me that they have one and he knows a player, so I might reach out, send some videos in, and hopefully, maybe, maybe if not, I could just try to walk on as a player, even just as a practice player."

We are always looking for Student-Athlete of the Week nominations. If you know a senior who should be featured next, be sure to contact the KESQ sports department.

The Student-Athlete of the Week segment airs every Tuesday.